This NFL puzzle ran on Sep 14, 2026. The task was to connect J.K. Dobbins to George Karlaftis with a chain of real players. The objective: “Your chain must include a Louisville alum.” Par was 3 links.
J.K. Dobbins (RB) played in the NFL from 2020 to 2026. Career stops: the Baltimore Ravens (2020 to 2023), the Los Angeles Chargers (2024), and the Denver Broncos (2025 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.
George Karlaftis (DL) played in the NFL from 2022 to 2026. A one-team career, spent with the Kansas City Chiefs (2022 to 2026). College: Purdue. 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.
J.K. Dobbins and George Karlaftis 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, 167 satisfy it. The best known are Lamar Jackson (QB, 2018 to 2026), DeVante Parker (WR, 2015 to 2023), Deion Branch (WR, 2002 to 2012), Sheldon Rankins (DL, 2016 to 2026), Sam Madison (DB, 1997 to 2008), and Elvis Dumervil (DE, 2006 to 2017).
20 of those players share a team or college with J.K. Dobbins, and 8 share one with George Karlaftis. The Finish is the tighter side, so it often pays to work backward from George Karlaftis.
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.