This NFL puzzle ran on Oct 28, 2026. The task was to connect Rashee Rice to Bryan Bresee with a chain of real players. The objective: “Your chain must include a Defensive Player of the Year winner.” Par was 4 links. A search of the full player pool found a shortest chain of 3 links.
Rashee Rice (WR) played in the NFL from 2023 to 2026. A one-team career, spent with the Kansas City Chiefs (2023 to 2026). College: SMU. 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.
Bryan Bresee (DL) played in the NFL from 2023 to 2025. A one-team career, spent with the New Orleans Saints (2023 to 2025). College: Clemson. 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.
Rashee Rice and Bryan Bresee 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, 32 satisfy it. The best known are Charles Woodson (DB, 1998 to 2015), Brian Urlacher (LB, 2000 to 2012), Ray Lewis (LB, 1996 to 2012), Ed Reed (FS, 2002 to 2013), Troy Polamalu (SS, 2003 to 2014), and Warren Sapp (DL, 1995 to 2007).
1 of those players share a team or college with Rashee Rice, and 1 share one with Bryan Bresee. Both ends are about equally connected, so either direction works.
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.