THERE WILL BE A MOMENT always play WR Alex Bachmanhead, serving as a reminder of the uncertainty he faced while trying to realize his NFL dreams. Playing for New York Giants in 2021, he was confident that he would be taken from the practice squad for the team's away game against Philadelphia Eagles.
Bachman said he has been involved in creating the special teams game plan during practice and was active last week against Dallas Cowboys as a COVID-19 replacement player. So he advised his parents to travel from his home state of California to the East Coast, confident that they would be able to watch their son put on the suit. But when he arrived at Lincoln Financial Field on game day, he noticed his pads were in his bag instead of his locker.
“I went and asked someone about it and they said, ‘Oh yeah, you’re not here today,’” Bachman recalls. “I know they were supposed to tell me the night before, but no one told me or anything… I texted my parents and they were already damn close to the stadium.”
Bachman will face his former team, the Giants, on Sunday. Las Vegas Raiders (16:05. ET on CBS) I still keep this memory.
Since Bachman entered the league in 2019, he has faced constant pushback and concerns about his job. He was never on the original 53-man roster, was waived five times and was on the practice squad for three different teams.
This season with the Raiders, despite a 2-13 record, provided more consistency than his stints with the Raiders. Los Angeles RamsGiants and Houston Texans. Bachman was signed to the active roster in October and has established himself as a punt returner.
However, he lives with the idea that each day could be his last in the league and that he may have to look for another opportunity elsewhere. To this end, Bachman drives a rental car and stays in a guest house to avoid putting his name on the apartment lease, which he may have to terminate at any time.
There were days when the 29-year-old considered hanging up his boots. However, Bachman's passion for football allows him to continue moving forward.
“There's nothing in life that can prepare you for the NFL, but at the end of the day, I wouldn't change a thing,” he told ESPN.
IF BACKMAN'S DADIf Dave had known that this was what his son needed to play in the NFL, he might have encouraged him to pursue a different profession – one that brought less suffering. He and his wife Leslie are often asked about what life was like as a child playing professional football.
They will quickly tell you what a burden this entails. Throughout Bachman's journey, they spent hours praying for his future. Pray that if one door is closed, another will quickly open.
“It’s such an emotional rollercoaster,” Dave said. “I told him, 'I would have left a long time ago.' But he just keeps going.”
But Dave knows it will be difficult to convince Alex to give up because he has done everything he can to get to this point. At Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, California, Bachman had to play free agency despite wanting to be a wide receiver.
He didn't record any receptions for three seasons, so to show colleges that Alex could play receiver, Dave had to film him during the various football camps and 7-on-7 tournaments he participated in.
After his junior year of high school, Bachman decided to go to Wake Forest to show the coaching staff his film. The problem was that he didn't have any film of him playing receiver on the pads, so the staff asked Bachman to attend the program's football camp.
He stood out so much during camp at Wake Forest that it prompted the Demon Deacons to offer him a scholarship, and he wasted no time. In the fall of his senior year at Oaks Christian, Bachman finally earned offensive snaps. In seven games, he had 13 catches for 195 yards and a touchdown.
“Alex basically had to sell himself… It's a crazy story,” Leslie said.
At Wake Forest, Bachman had 82 catches for 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns in 32 games. His best season came as a senior, when he caught 37 passes for 541 yards and six scores.
He had his eye on the NFL, but his parents said they couldn't continue paying for all of his training.
“When it came to the NFL, we said, ‘You’re going to have to do your part. How bad do you want it? – said Leslie. “He’s very driven, and you have to be like that to keep going down that path.”
During six months of his senior year, Bachman said he earned $2,500 a month as an Uber driver. Meanwhile, picking up people at night, he found paths for training. The money he earned through Uber and the checks Bachman received from his grandparents was enough to pay for workouts before Wake Forest's 2019 pro day.
With 31 NFL teams in attendance, Bachman ran an unofficial 4.40 in the 40-yard dash.
“I know there were a lot of teams there. [for] other guys on my team, but I was hoping to blow doors and start a conversation,” Bachman said. “I think that running [the time] “I did that and that’s why I got my first opportunity to go to the NFL.”
Bachman's Loser's Journey playing Division I football still couldn't prepare him for what he would eventually experience in the NFL.
Bachman signed with the Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He was waived/injured on the final day of roster cuts and was placed on the injured reserve list. Soon after, his injury claim was denied.
Two months later, he signed with the Giants' practice squad, where he spent six weeks of the 2019 season and most of 2020. He made his league debut against the Eagles in Week 7 of 2020.
Bachman played three games for New York in 2021. He thought he would appear in four, but the team had other plans for the division's Week 16 matchup against Philadelphia.
“It was one of many wake-up calls along the way,” Dave said.
In the summer of 2022, Bachman was confident in his chances of making the Giants' 53-man roster. He put together a strong training camp and had 11 catches, 122 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Bengals in the preseason.
But on the day the squad was cut, they abandoned him.
“It’s a blow to your ego and your pride,” Bachman said. “Sometimes there are things that are out of your control, but the season is long and things can change quickly.”
Three months later, he joined the Texans' practice squad, where he remained through the 2022 season. Bachman signed a reserve/future contract in January 2023.
Bachman participated in Houston's training camp ahead of the 2023 season. He was waived in August and signed to the practice squad in November. Bachman eventually signed another reserve/future contract in January 2024, but was waived in April.
In May 2024, Alex was at the Newark airport after visiting friends in New York. He video called Leslie to express his disappointment and doubts about whether he would get another opportunity.
“He said, ‘Mom, I think it’s time. They won’t call me,” Leslie said. “I [said]“I’ll pray about it and just get on your flight.” While he was on the flight, he got a call from his agent saying the Raiders wanted him to come work out. I cried.”
On May 22, Bachman signed a contract with Las Vegas. He bounced between the practice squad and the active roster but managed to play six games during the 2024 season. He even made his first career start in a Week 7 loss to his first team, the Rams.
In his second season with the Raiders in 2025, Bachman performed well in training camp. Despite not making the initial 53-man roster, Las Vegas quickly signed him to the practice squad and promoted him ahead of the season-opening game against the team. New England Patriots.
Bachman was then signed to the active roster behind linebacker. Brennan Jackson was placed on the injured reserve list. In 10 games, Bachman totaled 94 yards on 15 kick returns.
“That was a little more comforting… I expect to be here tomorrow,” Bachman said.
Coach Pete Carroll said he's been backing Bachman for a while, hoping he gets his chance. Carroll added that Bachman spoke with the team a couple of weeks ago to share his experience.
“He was confused. And a lot of guys might have been disappointed,” Carroll said. “Throughout the entire practice, we saw nothing but really productive, high-performance stuff that constantly reminds you that this guy needs to be a part of what we do.”
The Raiders calmed Bachman down a bit. But this did not change his worldview. While living in Las Vegas, he made a deal with a local car rental company to avoid having his 2016 Toyota shipped from his home in Austin, Texas.
“Delivery costs about $2,000. [my car] here and $2,000 to send it back,” Bachman said. “But I can rent a nice car here for $3,500 and return it when I need it.”
Luckily for Bachman, he was able to stay at the guest house for free. Dave asked one of his Marine Corps friends if Alex could borrow a room so he wouldn't be confined to an apartment in case he had to leave and join another team. Last year in Las Vegas, Bachman rented a room in a house that belonged to a former teammate.
As another source of income, Bachman sometimes rents out rooms in his Texas home.
“He always looks at it like this mortgage isn't going anywhere, and that's his main goal. So he cuts corners and other things,” Leslie said.
Bachman also learned to play through pain, knowing he couldn't afford to miss too many practices. He suffered a pair of ankle sprains during training camp. All he did was bandage his ankle, take Tylenol and continue playing to show that he was willing to do whatever it took to help the team.
Bachman recently broke his thumb, forcing him to miss two games, but returned with the Raiders. loss with a score of 23-21 to Houston in week 16.
“Not even a month has passed. He plays with a broken thumb and you don’t even know it,” Carroll said.
Bachman could have given up at any moment. He enjoyed sports broadcasting and developed his entrepreneurial interests. But through it all, his love for the sport kept him going and allowed him to appreciate this moment.
“You're still playing a child's game, so enjoy every day,” Bachman said.
