This NFL puzzle ran on Aug 27, 2026. The task was to connect Denzel Ward to Jake Reed with a chain of real players. The objective: “Your chain must include a Syracuse alum.” Par was 3 links.
Denzel Ward (DB) played in the NFL from 2018 to 2026. A one-team career, spent with the Cleveland Browns (2018 to 2026). College: Ohio State. As the Start of the chain, a household name like this gives you a lot of teammates to branch from, which makes it a friendly place to begin.
Jake Reed (WR) played in the NFL from 1991 to 2002. Career stops: the Minnesota Vikings (1991 to 2001) and the New Orleans Saints (2000 to 2002). College: Grambling State. As the Finish of the chain, a household name like this gives you a lot of teammates to branch from, which makes it a friendly place to begin.
Denzel Ward and Jake Reed do not share a team or a college, so there is no direct link. You need at least one connector in between, and the objective decides which ones are allowed to count.
This was a college objective. The chain has to pass through a player from the named school at some point, not necessarily as a link to the Start or Finish. Of the 17,973 players in the pool, 158 satisfy it. The best known are Marvin Harrison (WR, 1996 to 2008), Dwight Freeney (DE, 2002 to 2017), Chandler Jones (DE, 2012 to 2022), Donovan McNabb (QB, 1999 to 2011), Art Monk (WR, 1990 to 1995), and Keith Bulluck (LB, 2000 to 2010).
12 of those players share a team or college with Denzel Ward, and 16 share one with Jake Reed. The Start is the tighter side, so working forward from Denzel Ward narrows the options fastest.
One shortest chain found by searching the full player pool, preferring the best known names at every step:
Many other chains work. Scoring rewards lower-profile connectors, so the best-known route is rarely the highest scoring one.
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