Welcome to what will be a weekly series tracking the performance of spring football players in the NFL. Each week, I’ll bring you the stats, notes, and key plays that involved XFL, USFL and UFL players in the NFL, as well as those who earned tryouts during that week and any transactions that took place involving players from those leagues.
Tryouts
Four UFL 2025 players worked out for NFL teams in the days prior to the first weekend of regular season games. On Monday, DE Kenny Willekes (Panthers) was brought in by the New Orleans Saints; S Trey Dean (Defenders) tried out for the New England Patriots on Tuesday; OT Zach Banner (Roughnecks), out of the NFL since 2021, was brought in for a look by the Chicago Bears on Thursday; and CB Nick Whiteside (Battlehawks) was also a Thursday workout, for the Cleveland Browns. None were immediately signed.
Transactions
It was a short stay on the Patriots’ practice squad for C Alec Lindstrom (Showboats), who was released on Monday in favor of another center, Brenden Jaimes.
The good news is that two UFL players were signed to practice squads, so the league is net +1 for the week in that department. DE Ronnie Perkins (Stallions) spent about five days in training camp with the Atlanta Falcons, but that was enough for them to bring him back, though he was not part of that initial practice squad. On Thursday, LB Garrett Nelson (Brahmas) was signed to the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad. He had been in training camp with the Denver Broncos this summer.
Saturday is usually a quiet day for transactions, but two spring football players were shuffled on and off 53-man rosters. DT Jeremiah Pharms, Jr. (Maulers) made New England’s initial 53-man roster – but Pharms found out why it’s called “initial,” as he was released just prior to week one. RB Jacob Saylors (Battlehawks) was promoted from Detroit’s practice squad to their active roster. That now makes five running backs on the Lions; it’s hard to imagine them keeping all five very long.
While it’s nice to see spring football players get signed, there’s a special warm and fuzzy feeling for those who get contract extensions. Such was the case for P Daniel Whelan (Defenders), one of a number of players to sign extensions in the days leading up to week one’s games. The Green Bay Packers signed their third-year punter to a new deal. The deal is reportedly a two-year extension worth $6.2 million with a $2.1 million signing bonus, keeping him in the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field through 2027. He was scheduled to become a restricted free agent next off-season.
XFL
*In Miami’s blowout loss to Indianapolis, S Elijah Campbell (Defenders) was relegated to special teams only, playing 61% of the snaps on that unit.
*On long field goals especially, it’s critical for long snappers to get the snap back quickly and accurately. Pittsburgh K Chris Boswell nailed field goals of 56 and 60 yards on Sunday, thanks in part to the skills of his LS Christian Kuntz (Renegades).
*In the nation’s capital, QB Josh Johnson (Wildcats) was inactive as the team’s emergency third quarterback.
*In a close game littered with offense, the ability to long snap perfectly is magnified. The Baltimore Ravens were edged out by the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night, but LS Nick Moore (TB Vipers) did his part on his 10 snaps. Moore was working his first regular season game with a new kicker in rookie Tyler Loop, who made two long field goals.
*A 50-yard Cairo Santos field goal that sailed wide right was the difference in the ball game as Minnesota eked out a three-point win over Chicago on Monday night. On replay of that kick, the operation was clean including the snap by LS Scott Daly (NY Guardians), which was right on the money. It was one of 11 punt or kick snaps delivered by Daly on the evening.
*Playing the fewest snaps of any Atlanta Falcon across the defensive line (14, or 24% on defense), DT LaCale London (Battlehawks) failed to register any stats on Sunday.
*Fresh off a contract extension, P Daniel Whelan (Defenders) boomed three punts for 164 yards, a 54.7 gross average with a net of 48.3. Impressively, he landed two of those punts inside the 20 yard-line.
USFL
*In Thursday night’s wild season opener, WR KaVontae Turpin (Generals) did not start despite Dallas beginning the game in a three-receiver set (he did finish third in offensive snaps among receivers, playing just under 50% of the time). So much for thoughts Turpin would be a part of the starting lineup this year. Even so, he got his share of touches, taking a reverse on the first Cowboys drive and in total, rushing twice for nine yards. He also saw two targets in the pass game, nabbing both for 18 yards. On special teams, his four kickoff returns went for just 81 yards (20.3 average) and his one punt return opportunity was a fair catch.
*Picking up where he left off last year, K Brandon Aubrey (Stallions) was two-for-two on extra points and was 100% on his two field goal attempts, good from 41 yards out as well as 53. Two of his four kickoffs went for touchbacks, interesting if only because the “penalty” for a touchback is now that the offense starts at the 35-yard-line instead of the 30 as was the case last year, further encouraging returns and disincentivizing touchbacks.
*LS Mitchell Fraboni (Maulers) was active in Denver, snapping on seven plays that involved either punts, field goals or extra points.
UFL
*The only UFL 2025 player to land on a team’s initial 53-man roster, DT Perrion Winfrey (Stallions) found himself on the inactive list of the Dallas Cowboys in week one.
*Signed to the active roster just a day before the opener, RB Jacob Saylors (Battlehawks) replaced the injured Sione Vaki as the fourth string running back and kick returner. Saylors was joined by Grant Stuard as the two returners, with Saylors taking four kicks back for 92 yards, a 23.0 average, with a long return of 25 yards. He played 11 total special teams snaps (46%), none on offense. It was the first regular season NFL game of Saylors’ career.
*It was a rough first game in the career of K Andre Szmyt (Battlehawks). Cleveland lost by one point to division-rival Cincinnati, and much of the blame fell on the leg of Szmyt. Though he made his first extra point and field goal (from 45 yards out), the wheels fell off in the second half. He missed an extra point that would’ve put the Browns up by three; instead, up by two, it allowed the Bengals to kick a go-ahead field goal. Late in the fourth, Szmyt missed a 36-yarder wide right that would’ve given the Browns the lead with 2:22 to go. Despite this, head coach Kevin Stefanski isn’t ready to pull the plug on Szmyt just yet.
*Szmyt’s battery mate, LS Rex Sunahara (Brahmas) snapped on all punts and kicks for Cleveland in week one.
*Two short field goals and an extra point were the extent of the scoring for K Jake Bates (Panthers). He connected on kicks from 30 and 27 yards, not quite testing his leg strength in week one. He also made a tackle on special teams.
*Playing as a substitute pass-rusher for Denver, LB Dondrea Tillman (Stallions) made one assisted tackle in 19 snaps, or 33% of the defensive playing time. Tillman also played on 59% of special teams snaps.
*A terrific story only got better in 2025 as DE Jalen Redmond (Renegades) earned a spot in the opening day starting lineup for the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night. Redmond finished with two tackles (one solo, one assist) and perhaps more importantly, drew a questionable holding penalty when working against Chicago RT Darnell Wright late in the game as Chicago was trying to make a comeback. Redmond ended up playing in 48% of the defensive snaps.
*Injuries to backup offensive linemen Wyatt Milum and Cole Van Lanen led Jacksonville to elevate OT Ricky Lee (Renegades) from their practice squad for their opener against Carolina. Lee’s reserve duties included blocking on extra points and field goals, where he played six snaps. Practice squad players can be elevated three times during the season; once they’ve exhausted their allotted three elevations, they need to be signed to the active roster or released and re-signed to play on gamedays.