The Chains
Rate itLink two NFL players through teammates and college classmates, under the day's rule.
Every day: One numbered NFL chain a day (Puzzle #65 on 6 October 2026), the same for everyone, with a start player, a finish player, a par and an objective for the day. New puzzle: Midnight Eastern Time.
The Chains is a daily sports connection puzzle. You get a start player and a finish player and build a chain of real NFL players between them, each neighbouring pair sharing an NFL team in any season or a college. Every day adds an objective, such as including a Texas A&M alum, and a par to beat.
About The Chains
The Chains gives you two NFL players and asks you to connect them. You type a name, pick it from the suggestions and keep going; each link must be a shared NFL team, in any season, or a shared college. The moment a pick connects straight to the finish player, the chain completes itself.
Each day's puzzle carries one objective in plain words above the chain. It might be that every player must be a quarterback, that the chain must include an alum of a given college, or that links must alternate between a shared team and a shared college. Par is the shortest chain that still meets the objective. Beat par and your score climbs; run long and it drops.
Every connector you name also earns a rarity tier, from Common up to Unicorn, based on how surprising your pick was for that link compared with everyone else who could have filled it. The player pool covers every NFL player who appeared in a regular-season game from 1990 on, and each puzzle is checked by a solver to make sure par can be reached. A new puzzle goes live at midnight Eastern, earlier puzzles stay in the archive, and MLB and NBA versions sit beside the NFL one. Chains+ is a paid tier with unlimited puzzles, Live and Head2Head modes.
It suits American football fans who know rosters and college pipelines, and anyone who likes six-degrees games.
How to play The Chains
- Open The Chains and read today's objective and the par.
- Look at the start and finish players and think of a team or college they connect through.
- Type a player's name and pick him from the suggestions; he must share a team or college with the previous player.
- Keep adding players until one connects straight to the finish, which completes the chain.
- Check your score against par and the rarity tier of each connector, then share.
Tips
- Use college links: they let you jump between teams that never shared a player.
- Read the objective first, since it changes which chains count.
- A lesser-known connector can earn a higher rarity tier than a famous one.
Questions
When does The Chains reset?
A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight Eastern.
What counts as a link in The Chains?
Two players who shared an NFL team in any season, or who went to the same college.
Can I play past puzzles?
Yes. Every earlier puzzle stays playable in the archive.
Ratings and reviews
No ratings yet. Be the first to rate The Chains.
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