While NFL fans take a break from football after the Super Bowl, the sport is alive and well in the spring. The UFL is a minor league that soaks in the spotlight during the months when the NFL and college football are dormant.
There might not be as many ardent followers of the UFL as the NFL, but players competing in the former league take the games extremely seriously.
Special teams players, in particular, have a unique opportunity to submit quality tape for NFL evaluators to assess as they build their rosters.
A pipeline
Like the NFL, the UFL has tinkered with its kick-off rules to enhance safety while providing a structure for the return game. Fans of both leagues have had to get used to this adjustment as the nature of the game evolves in the 21st century.
While the UFL doesn’t employ the same level of talented players as the NFL, the league still imitates the NFL in translatable ways. In particular, kick-off coverage and the kicking and punting game still largely resemble what occurs during NFL games.
In other words, players who excel as returners, kickers, or punters in the UFL have a great chance to have their skills translate into the NFL. Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates is a prime example, having boomed field goals in the UFL before getting his chance in the NFL.
A couple of other UFL specialists could soon be back in the NFL.
Kicker: Rodrigo Blankenship
Blankenship had a strong rookie season in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts in 2020. The spectacled kicker drilled 95 percent of his extra point attempts and was reliable from 40 yards and in. However, things were never the same for him after that, as a hip injury ended his 2021 campaign prematurely, and he never found his rhythm again.
Fast forward to 2025, as Blankenship found himself in the UFL kicking for the St. Louis Battlehawks. He was named to the All-UFL Team after a strong season. He drilled a 56-yarder as his season-long, and went 13-14 on kicks from at least 40 yards. Blankenship’s NFL odds seemed pretty slim, as though he’s been out of the league since 2022, but this strong performance gives him a chance to rejoin the NFL’s kicker circuit.
Punter: Brad Wing
Wing was a fixture in the NFL from 2014-2017, punting for the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants in that span. He returned to the league in 2023 to punt for Pittsburgh in two games. It seems like the NFL has passed Wing by, but he showed he could still play well in his mid-thirties in the UFL.
Wing was an All-UFL Team performer with the San Antonio Brahmas in 2025, which posted about Wing’s football journey on social media. It wouldn’t be surprising for the veteran to get a call from the NFL sometime soon.