This NFL puzzle ran on Sep 1, 2026. The task was to connect Brian Griese to Amon-Ra St. Brown with a chain of real players. The objective: “Your chain must include an MVP winner.” Par was 3 links.
Brian Griese (QB) played in the NFL from 1998 to 2008. Career stops: the Denver Broncos (1998 to 2002), the Miami Dolphins (2003), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2004 to 2008), and the Chicago Bears (2006 to 2007). College: Michigan. 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.
Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR) played in the NFL from 2021 to 2026. A one-team career, spent with the Detroit Lions (2021 to 2026). College: USC. 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.
Brian Griese and Amon-Ra St. Brown 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 an award objective. At least one player in the chain has to be a winner of the named honor. Of the 17,973 players in the pool, 28 satisfy it. The best known are Peyton Manning (QB, 1998 to 2015), LaDainian Tomlinson (RB, 2001 to 2011), Brett Favre (QB, 1991 to 2010), Marshall Faulk (RB, 1994 to 2005), Emmitt Smith (RB, 1990 to 2004), and Kurt Warner (QB, 1998 to 2009).
6 of those players share a team or college with Brian Griese, and 4 share one with Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Finish is the tighter side, so it often pays to work backward from Amon-Ra St. Brown.
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.
Want more? Browse the full NFL puzzle archive, read the strategy guides, or see how scoring works on How to Play.