Players for Miami fans to watch in the 2026 NFL season opener include kicker Andy Borregales, defensive tackle Leonard Taylor III and tight end Elijah Arroyo. All three former Hurricanes will be on the field Wednesday night when the New England Patriots visit the Seattle Seahawks in a rematch of Super Bowl LX.
Borregales and Taylor will be on the Patriots sideline while Arroyo will be on the other side with the defending champions.
The journey to the Lombardi starts today 👀 pic.twitter.com/AAUDQFDi3l
— NFL (@NFL) September 9, 2026
New England Patriots K Andy Borregales
Borregales, a sixth-round pick in 2025 out of Miami, enters his second NFL season as New England's kicker. He made 27 of 32 field-goal attempts last season, including all four of his tries from 50 yards or longer. His longest make was 59 yards against the Miami Dolphins in Week 18. He also converted 53 of 55 extra points.
He recently switched his jersey from No. 36 to No. 8, the number he wore with the Hurricanes.
New England Patriots DT Leonard Taylor III
Taylor, a Miami Palmetto product, played three seasons on the Hurricanes defensive line before going undrafted in 2024. He began his NFL career with the New York Jets, then signed with New England's practice squad in October 2025. He appeared in three regular-season games for the Patriots and was elevated for the postseason.
In the AFC championship game at Denver, Taylor tipped a potential game-tying field-goal attempt by Broncos kicker Will Lutz. New England won 10-7 and advanced to the Super Bowl.
Seattle Seahawks TE Elijah Arroyo
The Seahawks selected Arroyo in the second round of the 2025 draft. In 2024 he caught 35 passes for 590 yards and seven touchdowns.
Arroyo finished with 15 receptions for 179 yards and one touchdown in 13 games before a knee injury sent him to injured reserve in December. He returned for the NFC championship game and he enters 2026 as the No. 2 tight end behind A.J. Barner.
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