Jason Cabinda’s journey in the NFL has been anything but conventional. Signed as an undrafted free agent by the (then) Oakland Raiders in 2018, Cabinda entered the league with the odds already stacked against him. As an undersized linebacker who didn’t have splashy athletic traits, it seemed like a special teams career was likely his ceiling.
But through every step of his journey, his spirit lended him a new chance. In his rookie year, he didn’t make the team, but he did make the Raiders’ practice squad, and showed enough to eventually get the call up and even start three games at linebacker.