Tariq Castro-Fields

Tariq Quinton Castro-Fields (born January 14, 1999) is an American professional football cornerback. He was rated a four-star recruit and played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions after considering offers from Maryland and Alabama. He was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft. Castro-Fields has also played for the Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers, and Philadelphia Eagles.

Early life Castro-Fields was born on January 14, 1999, in Alexandria, Virginia, to a mother of Filipino descent and a father of African American descent. He grew up in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and attended the Riverdale Baptist School.

College career Castro-Fields played in 12 games as a freshman and finished the season with 10 total tackles, three passes broken up, and one interception. As a junior, Castro-Fields had 52 tackles and led the team with two interceptions and eight passes broken up. He played in three games during Penn State's COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, missing the rest due to injury. Castro-Fields decided to utilize the extra year of eligibility granted to college athletes who played in the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and return to Penn State for a fifth season.

Professional career

San Francisco 49ers Castro-Fields was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He was waived on August 30, 2022.

Washington Commanders On August 31, 2022, Castro-Fields was claimed by the Washington Commanders. He was placed on injured reserve on October 21. On August 29, 2023, Castro-Fields was waived by the Commanders and re-signed to the practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on November 3. On August 27, 2024, Castro-Fields was waived as part of final roster cuts before the start of the 2024 season.

Carolina Panthers On August 28, 2024, Castro-Fields was claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers. He was waived on October 1.

Philadelphia Eagles On October 21, 2024, Castro-Fields was signed to the Philadelphia Eagles' practice squad. He was released on December 26. On December 31, the Eagles re-signed Castro-Fields to their practice squad. He won a Super Bowl championship when the Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40–22 in Super Bowl LIX. He signed a reserve/future contract on February 14, 2025.

On August 26, 2025, Castro-Fields was waived with an injury designation by the Eagles as part of final roster cuts. He was re-signed to the practice squad on October 13. Castro-Fields signed a reserve/future contract with Philadelphia on January 12, 2026.

On August 21, 2026, Castro-Fields was placed on injured reserve due to a heel injury. He was released with an injury settlement on August 29, 2026.