Tryouts
The Kansas City Chiefs have hosted a few big late-season tryout groups. On Monday, they had two former UFL players in: G Mason Brooks (Defenders) and LB Steele Chambers (Showboats). This is the first post-UFL tryout publicly reported for Chambers, making him, unofficially, the 89th player to end the season on UFL rosters to earn an NFL tryout. That represents about 22% of the league.
Transactions
After releasing him late last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers brought DT Kyler Baugh (Battlehawks) back to the practice squad on Monday. On Wednesday, RB Jashaun Corbin (Brahmas) was released from New England’s practice squad.
Friday brought along news, from the man himself, that LS Nick Moore (TB Vipers) signed a four-year contract extension with the Baltimore Ravens. Moore, whose base salary was $1.1 million this year, was set to become an unrestricted free agent in March. Then on Saturday, the Dallas Cowboys activated CB Josh Butler (Panthers) from the PUP list where he had spent all season after tearing his ACL last Thanksgiving.
Out of the playoff picture, the New York Jets signed several players to the active roster from the practice squad for the final week. Among them was G Kohl Levao (Brahmas). Going the other way, with DT Milton Williams activated from IR, the New England Patriots waived DT Jeremiah Pharms (Maulers).
XFL
*As with many teams, Green Bay played a lot of their backups in week 18, including third-string QB Clayton Tune. in part because of this, they scored just three points against Minnesota. That meant an unusually large workload for P Daniel Whelan (Defenders). After not punting at all the last two weeks, he punted eight times on Sunday. His gross average was 53.9 yards per kick with a net of 50.8. Five of the eight punts landed inside the 20 with just one touchback, a fantastic end to a strong regular season.
*Just eking by the New Orleans Saints were the Atlanta Falcons and DT LaCale London (Battlehawks). Earning the starting nod once again, London took down QB Tyler Shough for his fifth sack of the season. His final line of the year was four tackles (one solo, three assists) in playing 28% of defensive snaps.
*With no field goal and no extra point attempts, LS Scott Daly (NY Guardians) was relegated to four punt snaps as his only action for Chicago.
*Though the Philadelphia Eagles rested most of their starters, it still goes into the record book as a win for QB Josh Johnson (Wildcats), who was starting his second game of the year, the first time he’s had multiple starts in a season since 2018. In leading Washington to victory, he completed 14-of-22 passes for 131 yards, a touchdown and an interception. At 39 years old, he also ran nine times for 45 yards and a score.
*Perhaps his new contract will ease the heartbreak felt by LS Nick Moore (TB Vipers) and the rest of the Baltimore Ravens after Sunday’s loss. A missed 44-yard field goal will keep Baltimore at home for the playoffs, through no fault of Moore, whose snap for the kick was on-point.
*A missed extra point after the final touchdown almost did in the Steelers, but like with the Ravens’ miss, LS Christian Kuntz (Renegades) was hardly to blame as the winds in Pittsburgh wreaked havoc all night.
*Playing in his first game of the year – and first games since 2023 – after spending all year on the practice squad, DT Jack Heflin (Roughnecks) was called up by the Los Angeles Rams to provide depth along the defensive line, doing so to the tune of playing 15% of defensive snaps and 25% on special teams. Heflin made the third tackle of his career, stopping Arizona QB Jacoby Brissett following an eight-yard scramble.
USFL
*Unable to secure a playoff berth on Saturday due to their loss to Tampa Bay, Carolina and DE LaBryan Ray (Stars) had to wait until Sunday – and with a win by the Atlanta Falcons, they are indeed playoff bound. Against the Bucs, Ray had a lone assisted tackle among his eight defensive snaps (12%).
*Backups aplenty played for Dallas in what was a meaningless finale against the New York Giants. Newly activated CB Josh Butler (Panthers) got in on the action, making five tackles (three solo, two assists) from the defensive backfield. The Cowboys eased him in, playing him in 35% of defensive snaps and 50% on special teams.
*A missed 57-yarder was the only blemish on the day for K Brandon Aubrey (Stallions), though he didn’t have a ton of opportunities for Dallas on Sunday. He was good from 22 yards out and made both extra points.
*Eleven yards from a kickoff return touchdown, WR KaVontae Turpin (Generals) came up just short at the end of the first quarter on a return that clocked in at 84 yards. It was one of seven kick returns on the day for Turpin, and that run-back aided his return average, which finished at 30.7. In the pass game, he was targeted once but did not record a reception. He had one rush for seven yards. Turpin’s playing time was just nine snaps on offense (16%) and 38% on special teams.
*Ahead of being the number one seed in the AFC, LS Mitchell Fraboni (Maulers) snapped on all punts and kicks for Denver.
UFL
*One of two walk-off game winners to come from the foot of UFL alums on Sunday, K Jake Bates (Panthers) gave Detroit a feel-good end to their season with a 42-yarder that beat the rival Chicago Bears. Bates added field goals of 33, 30 and 25, missing wide left from 53. He made one extra point.
*Despite being out of the playoffs, Detroit played to win against Chicago, which meant no time for deep reserves like RB Jacob Saylors (Battlehawks). Saylors was relegated to special teams only again, seeing a 70% snap share on the third unit.
*CB Nick Whiteside (Battlehawks) played but recorded no stats for the Lions against the Bears. He too played solely on special teams – 40% of the snaps, to be exact.
*In a 16-3 dogfight against Green Bay, Minnesota DE Jalen Redmond (Renegades) had a relatively quiet day by his standards, with three tackles (one solo, two assists). That can be explained by him playing only 53% of the snaps as Minnesota gave some time to its backups in the finale.
*Playing from his rush end position, LB Dondrea Tillman (Stallions) made three assisted tackles for the Broncos in 54% of snaps on defense, playing another 78% on special teams.
*Cleveland went down fighting for embattled head coach Kevin Stefanski, defeating division rival Cincinnati in week 18. LS Rex Sunahara (Brahmas) handled all long snaps for Cleveland.
*From 49 yards out, K Andre Szmyt (Battlehawks) had another game-winner for the Browns at the last second. It was one of two field goals he made on the day, the other coming from 27 yards. Szmyt was good on two extra point attempts as well.
*An injury to star receiver Chris Olave vaulted WR Kevin Austin Jr. (Stallions) into the starting lineup and he was the recipient of the most targets of the game at nine. He caught four of those for 37 yards with a long of 15, doing so in playing every offensive snap but two on the afternoon.
*Active in his first game on the 53-man roster, G Kohl Levao (Brahmas) was one of several players who did not see the field for the New York Jets.
*Finishing the season with the status he played most of it, DT Perrion Winfrey (Stallions) was a healthy inactive for Dallas.
*The Los Angeles Rams go into the playoffs with confidence in their kicking situation. K Harrison Mevis (Stallions) made all three field goals (from 34, 42 and 40) and all four extra points.
*Up from the practice squad for the second game in a row with the team’s top two tight ends inactive, TE Sal Cannella (Renegades) was targeted on one pass from Cleveland QB Shedeur Sanders but had no receptions. He was the third tight end in playing time behind Blake Whiteheart and Brenden Bates, playing 21% of the snaps on offense and 17% on special teams.
Practice Squad Update
The following players ended the regular season on their respective teams’ practice squads. Those from teams that did not make the playoffs are eligible to be signed to futures contracts beginning this week.
WR Maurice Alexander, Chicago Bears (Philadelphia Stars), USFL
WR Kaden Davis, Cleveland Browns (Michigan Panthers), USFL
WR Michael Bandy, Denver Broncos (Houston Roughnecks), XFL
WR Chris Blair, Atlanta Falcons (D.C. Defenders), XFL
DT Jack Heflin, Los Angeles Rams (Houston Roughnecks), XFL
DT C.J. Brewer, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Houston Roughnecks), XFL
DT Kyler Baugh, Pittsburgh Steelers (St. Louis Battlehawks), UFL
TE Sal Cannella, Cleveland Browns (Arlington Renegades), UFL
G Liam Fornadel, New York Jets (D.C. Defenders), UFL
LB Jonathan Garvin, Chicago Bears (Birmingham Stallions), UFL
TE Thomas Gordon, Chicago Bears (San Antonio Brahmas), UFL
OT Ricky Lee, Jacksonville Jaguars (Arlington Renegades), UFL
CB Keni-H Lovely, Jacksonville Jaguars (Michigan Panthers), UFL
QB Adrian Martinez, S.F. 49ers (Birmingham Stallions), UFL
LB Garrett Nelson, Denver Broncos (San Antonio Brahmas), UFL
CB Jayden Price, New Orleans Saints (Arlington Renegades), UFL
WR Brandon Smith, New England Patriots (D.C. Defenders), UFL
WR Malik Turner, S.F. 49ers (Michigan Panthers), UFL
OT Barry Wesley, New Orleans Saints (Birmingham Stallions), UFL