Tryouts
A few new names popped up on tryout lists this week. Monday was the first in-season workout for OT Zach Banner (Roughnecks), one of several OTs to try out with Kansas City. It was the first tryout session reported by the Chiefs since August, and Banner’s second workout since the UFL season ended.
Two specialists got their first NFL tryouts since their UFL seasons ended. Tuesday, K B.T. Potter (Panthers) was the lone kicker to tryout out for Tampa Bay. Then on Friday, P Sterling Hofrichter (Battlehakws) worked out for Washington. The Commanders have become accustomed to working out a single punter late in the week almost every week during this regular season. Potter and Hofrichter were the 87th and 88th UFL 2025 players to earn a tryout after the season (based on public reporting).
Transactions
Tuesday was a busy day for spring football players on the transaction wire. The New York Jets released WR Brandon Smith (Defenders) from their practice squad. He has spent most of the last two seasons there. WR Kevin Austin Jr. (Stallions) and OT Barry Wesley (Stallions) were both waived by New Orleans. Both were re-signed to the practice squad two days later. And WR Cornell Powell (Defenders) was let go from the practice squad of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was on for about a week.
Thursday, in time for Detroit’s game with Dallas, the Lions promoted CB Nick Whiteside (Battlehawks) from the practice squad back to the active roster.
XFL
*It was another good day punting for P Daniel Whelan (Defenders) of the Green Bay Packers. In their big NFC North victory over Chicago, Whelan punted three times for a gross average of 48.3 yards per kick, a net of 46.3, and one inside the 20. The only one he’d perhaps like to have back is a re-kick after a penalty in the third quarter. His first punt went 46 yards and pinned the Bears back at their own 20-yard line. A holding penalty on the long snapper forced a re-kick, this time a punt of only 40 yards, giving Chicago the ball with 16 extra yards of field position.
*Playing seven snaps on special teams, all covering his long snapping duties, was LS Scott Daly (NY Guardians) of Chicago.
*The buzzsaw that is the Seattle Seahawks ran right through DT LaCale London (Battlehawks) and the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. London was active with six tackles (two solo, four assists), and impressively, all six tackles in the run game netted Seattle just 12 yards. However, London was also penalized twice, including an unnecessary roughness call late in the game. He did all this playing 44% of Atlanta’s defensive snaps, adding seven total on special teams.
*DT C.J. Brewer (Roughnecks) made one solo tackle in playing 12 snaps (21%) along Tampa Bay’s defensive line.
*Snapping for Baltimore on field goals, extra points and punts was LS Nick Moore (TB Vipers), who didn’t make it into the stat sheet.
*Pittsburgh pulled out a win over Baltimore to go over the .500 mark for the season. LS Christian Kuntz (Renegades) handled all longer than normal snaps for the Steelers, as per his usual.
*Though inactive as the emergency third quarterback for Washington, another injury to Jayden Daniels meant QB Josh Johnson (Wildcats) was one play away from entering the game.
*Despite the blowout over the New York Jets, Miami S Elijah Campbell (Defenders) didn’t see time on defense. He did play 48% of the special teams snaps, though.
USFL
*Though Dallas failed to break through on Thursday against Detroit, it wasn’t the fault of K Brandon Aubrey (Stallions). He made all five of his field goal attempts – including three of over 50 and one from 63, the long-time NFL record for longest field goal. His 42-yard field goal in the second quarter just snuck inside the upright. He was automatic on his lone extra point attempt. Aubrey’s eight kickoffs were also incredibly consistent, most driving the returner to the two or three yard-line, avoiding a touchback, which would lead Detroit to start their drive from the 35-yard line. He added an impressive hit on returner Tom Kennedy on a kickoff return, going in the stat book as a solo tackle.
*In a game script that ended up being heavy on the throw game for Dallas, WR KaVontae Turpin (Generals) saw just two targets, catching both for 26 yards (13.0 average), and taking a reverse for a four-yard run. Though receiver CeeDee Lamb suffered a concussion in the game, it was Ryan Flournoy (13 targets) that was the beneficiary. Turpin averaged 25.1 yards per return on seven kickoffs, with a long of 27. On offense, Turpin played 52% of the snaps, 29% on special teams.
*Already notching their 11th win of the season on Sunday was the Denver Broncos, whose long snapper, LS Mitchell Fraboni (Maulers), held down the fort admirably in that regard.
UFL
*Thursday night’s affair was as high scoring as anticipated, and K Jake Bates (Panthers) put Detroit on the board several times with key kicks. He made five extra points and was three-for-four on field goals, with one blocked from 52 yards out. It seemed to be more of a protection issue than anything Bates did wrong. For a time, it seemed as if Bates may have gotten injured by getting involved on a special teams tackle but he was able to stay in the game.
*Most of the kickoff returns went to RB Jacob Saylors (Battlehawks) for Detroit, and though he averaged an impressive 28.2 yards on five returns, his partner in crime Tom Kennedy averaged 40 yards on three returns. Saylors played the final two snaps on offense, two kneel-downs, and 56% of special teams snaps.
*Re-signed to Detroit’s active roster from their practice squad on game day, CB Nick Whiteside (Battlehawks) was active though used sparingly, playing just one snap on special teams.
*In what has become a weekly exercise, DT Perrion Winfrey (Stallions) was a healthy inactive for Dallas on Thursday night.
*It was a relative walk in the park for Minnesota in their shutout win over Washington. DE Jalen Redmond (Renegades) started for the Vikings and tied for second on the team with six tackles (three solo, three assists) as well as a sack and two tackles for loss. It was his fifth sack of the season. Redmond played 79% of the snaps defensively.
*A quiet afternoon was had by LB Dondrea Tillman (Stallions) of the Denver Broncos. He made one assisted tackle on defense, playing 38% of the snaps there in addition to 58% of the team’s snaps on special teams.
*Increasing his tackles on the year to six to lead his position group, Cleveland LS Rex Sunahara (Brahmas) made a stop on Tennessee’s electric returner Chimere Dike for a two-yard loss on a fourth quarter punt.
*In comeback mode for much of the second half, Cleveland eschewed extra points twice in favor of two-point conversions. That meant less work for K Andre Szmyt (Battlehawks), who did make both of his extra point attempts and his one field goal try, from 38 yards out.
*In his fifth game playing for the L.A. Rams’ high-powered offense, K Harrison Mevis (Stallions) has yet to miss an extra point, good on his first 23 tries. He made all six on Sunday as well as a chip shot field goal from 26 yards out.
*Elevated just a few days after being re-signed to the practice squad, WR Kevin Austin Jr. (Stallions) was active for the New Orleans Saints. His activity was relegated to two offensive kneel-downs at the end of the game, and five snaps on special teams.
Byes: Carolina Panthers DE LaBryan Ray (Stars)