This NFL puzzle ran on Sep 18, 2026. The task was to connect Bruce Matthews to Jerry Rice with a chain of real players. The objective: “Links must alternate between a shared team and a shared college, starting with a shared team.” Par was 3 links.
Bruce Matthews (OL) played in the NFL from 1990 to 2001. A one-team career, spent with the Tennessee Titans (1990 to 2001). College: USC. 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.
Jerry Rice (WR) played in the NFL from 1990 to 2004. Career stops: the San Francisco 49ers (1990 to 2000), the Las Vegas Raiders (2001 to 2004), and the Seattle Seahawks (2004). College: Mississippi Valley State University. Honors in the dataset: Offensive Player of the Year. 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.
Bruce Matthews and Jerry Rice 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 alternating-link objective. Links have to take turns between a shared team and a shared college, in the order the objective states.
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.