This NFL puzzle ran on Sep 3, 2026. The task was to connect Quan Martin to Chuck Clark with a chain of real players. The objective: “Your chain must include a N.C. State alum.” Par was 3 links.
Quan Martin (DB) played in the NFL from 2023 to 2026. A one-team career, spent with the Washington Commanders (2023 to 2026). College: Illinois. 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.
Chuck Clark (DB) played in the NFL from 2017 to 2026. Career stops: the Baltimore Ravens (2017 to 2022), the New York Jets (2024), the Pittsburgh Steelers (2025), and the Detroit Lions (2026). College: Virginia Tech. 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.
Quan Martin and Chuck Clark 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, 161 satisfy it. The best known are Philip Rivers (QB, 2004 to 2025), Torry Holt (WR, 1999 to 2009), Russell Wilson (QB, 2012 to 2025), Mario Williams (DE, 2006 to 2016), Bradley Chubb (LB, 2018 to 2026), and Mario Williams (WR).
10 of those players share a team or college with Quan Martin, and 26 share one with Chuck Clark. The Start is the tighter side, so working forward from Quan Martin 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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