This NFL puzzle ran on Oct 30, 2026. The task was to connect Antonio Freeman to Donte Jackson with a chain of real players. The objective: “Your chain must include an Offensive Rookie of the Year winner.” Par was 3 links.
Antonio Freeman (WR) played in the NFL from 1995 to 2003. Career stops: the Green Bay Packers (1995 to 2003) and the Philadelphia Eagles (2002). College: Virginia Tech. 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.
Donte Jackson (DB) played in the NFL from 2018 to 2026. Career stops: the Carolina Panthers (2018 to 2023), the Pittsburgh Steelers (2024), and the Los Angeles Chargers (2025 to 2026). College: LSU. 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.
Antonio Freeman and Donte Jackson 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, 45 satisfy it. The best known are Randy Moss (WR, 1998 to 2012), Edgerrin James (RB, 1999 to 2009), Marshall Faulk (RB, 1994 to 2005), Jerome Bettis (RB, 1993 to 2005), Emmitt Smith (RB, 1990 to 2004), and Curtis Martin (RB, 1995 to 2005).
5 of those players share a team or college with Antonio Freeman, and 10 share one with Donte Jackson. The Start is the tighter side, so working forward from Antonio Freeman 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.
Want more? Browse the full NFL puzzle archive, read the strategy guides, or see how scoring works on How to Play.