Jalen Redmond photo courtesy of twincities.com
Tryouts
Two workouts for recent UFL players were registered on Tuesday. It was the first known workout for K Lucas Havrisik (Renegades) since the end of the UFL season. He tried out for the New York Giants. With their regular kicker, Graham Gano, nursing an injury, they tried out a few kickers in search of a potential short-term replacement. They ended up settling on Younghoe Koo, and signed him to the practice squad over Havrisik. Also on Tuesday, G Mason Brooks (Defenders) worked out for the Green Bay Packers.
Wednesday brought a workout for CB D.J. Miller (Panthers), one of several corners to try out for the Denver Broncos. It’s Miller’s first workout since being released by the Detroit Lions at the close of training camp. Miller also reportedly recently re-signed with the Michigan Panthers for 2026.
Transactions
This week brought a bit of a bloodletting of spring football players. It began on Monday, when DT Kyon Barrs (Renegades) was released from the practice squad of the Arizona Cardinals. Barrs lasted a scant four days in Arizona. Also Monday, WR Kevin Austin Jr. (Stallions) was waived from the 53-man roster of the New Orleans Saints after being promoted from the practice squad the week before. A spot opened up on the team’s practice squad on Wednesday when QB Hunter Dekkers was placed on practice squad IR, so Austin was re-signed there.
WR Lucky Jackson (Defenders) went from nearly making the team out of camp to being released from the practice squad, as happened on Tuesday. With the return of WR Jordan Addison from suspension, the team waived receiver Tim Jones from their active roster and opted to keep him on the practice squad over Jackson. This could signal that Jackson’s three-year, on-again off-again relationship with the Vikings may finally be off – for good.
Jackson wasn’t the only practice squad release on Tuesday; fellow D.C. spring footballer G Liam Fornadel (Defenders) was let go from the practice squad of the New York Jets. It wasn’t all bad news on Tuesday: DT C.J. Brewer (Roughnecks) was signed off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ practice squad and onto their 53-man roster. Brewer should be familiar to Bucs fans as he played 12 games for the team last year.
XFL
*Though a blocked field goal wasn’t the result of a poor snap by LS Christian Kuntz (Renegades), he later had a low snap on a field goal that was successfully corralled by holder Corliss Waitman, allowing for a good kick by Chris Boswell in Pittsburgh’s Sunday morning victory over Minnesota in Ireland.
*With Dallas and Green Bay playing to a 40-40 tie on Sunday night, P Daniel Whelan (Defenders) was more busy holding for extra points than punting for the Pack. He had two punts for 83 yards, a 41.5 gross and net, landing both inside the 20-yard line. His punts forced Dallas’s offense to start at their 11 and their 5-yard lines.
*In eking out a 34-27 victory over the Washington Commanders, DT LaCale London (Battlehawks) played but did not record any stats for the Atlanta Falcons. His time was limited, seeing the field for just 25% of the defensive snaps, or 14 in total.
*With QB Jayden Daniels sitting for another week as he recovers from injury, QB Josh Johnson (Wildcats) once again moved up to number two on the depth chart at the position for Washington. Nevertheless, he did not play.
*After he missed two long field goals last week, the Atlanta Falcons added a second kicker to the practice squad in rookie Ben Sauls, perhaps to push K John Parker Romo (Brahmas). Whatever the case, Romo was back on track this week, going two-for-two on field goals of 38 and 26 yards, while also a perfect four-for-four on extra points. It appears Romo lives to kick another week.
*In his first week on the 53-man roster, DT C.J. Brewer (Roughnecks) was a healthy scratch for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
*Baltimore fell to an uncharacteristic 1-3 with a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. LS Nick Moore (TB Vipers) snapped on field goals and extra points for kicker Tyler Loop, and on punts for Jordan Stout.
*All long snaps for Chicago on Sunday were handled, as usual, by LS Scott Daly (NY Guardians). Daly’s biggest play on Sunday came off the field, when he tipped off CB Josh Blackwell about a “tell” that the Las Vegas long snapper had, leading to Blackwell to block a field goal, clinching the game for Chicago.
*S Elijah Campbell (Defenders) was held stat-less in Miami’s Monday night victory over the New York Jets, their first win of the season. Campbell saw his first action on defense this season – two snaps – while playing 75% of snaps on special teams.
USFL
*There were no long field goals to kick for K Brandon Aubrey (Stallions) for Dallas this weekend. His only field goal came from 22 yards out, and he also kicked five extra points. Four of his seven kickoffs went for touchbacks.
*WR CeeDee Lamb was out injured for Dallas, allowing WR KaVontae Turpin (Generals) to slot into the starting lineup. He caught three passes for 30 yards on four targets and ran a reverse for four yards. In one of his catches, he showed off tremendous footwork to stay in bounds on a 15-yard gainer. The high scoring game Dallas found themselves in on Sunday night resulted in several opportunities for kick returns; Turpin had six for 175 yards, nearly 30 yards per return. His one punt return was a fair catch. Turpin was on offense for 61% of the team’s snaps on that side of the ball.
*In Denver’s Monday night victory over Cincinnati, LS Mitchell Fraboni (Maulers) snapped for four punts and four extra points.
UFL
*In the starting lineup, DE Jalen Redmond (Renegades) had himself a day for the Minnesota Vikings against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Ireland. Redmond had three tackles (two solo, one assist), and two sacks in playing 68% of the snaps on defense. His first sack came on the first play from scrimmage, knifing through the middle of Pittsburgh’s line to take down future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Rodgers. On the second sack late in the first half, Redmond used his speed to get by Isaac Seumalo for the sack. His work was recognized on the UFL’s social media sites.
*Known for his big leg, K Jake Bates (Panthers) showed it off on Sunday as the Detroit Lions held off the Cleveland Browns. In addition to hitting from 48, Bates also connected from 58 yards out. He added four extra points as well.
*UFL fans held their breath when RB Jacob Saylors (Battlehawks) left Detroit’s game against Cleveland after blocking for Khalif Raymond’s punt return touchdown. It ended up being a hamstring injury, and Saylors later returned. Good thing that he did because he logged the first two carries of his NFL career late in the blowout win. He registered runs of two and nine yards gave Detroit the first down they needed to run out the clock with kneel-downs. Those were the four snaps Saylors played on offense, adding 61% of special teams snaps to his resume. Saylors, playing again due to another injury suffered by fellow back Sione Vaki that kept him out, also returned two kicks for 51 yards with a long of 31.
*Getting on the board with his first special teams tackle of the year for the Browns was LS Rex Sunahara (Brahmas), an assisted tackle on a second quarter punt that limited returner Khalif Raymond to just two yards.
*Coming off being named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his game-winning 55-yard field goal as time expired, K Andre Szmyt (Battlehawks) hit from 33 against Detroit, but couldn’t replicate what was very nearly last week’s big kick distance, missing from 56 wide left. Szmyt also made his only extra point attempt for Cleveland.
*Off the edge, LB Dondrea Tillman (Stallions) played 40% of defensive snaps for Denver on Monday night, making one tackle, a stop of RB Chase Brown for a two-yard gain in the first quarter. Tillman added nine snaps on special teams.