We are on the doorstep of the UFL 2026 season, kicking off tonight with Birmingham at Louisville. What better time to open the mailbag and take reader questions from social media? Here is what's on the fans' minds as the regular season is set to begin.
Some questions may be edited for length and/or clarity.
@CHRIS_T1SDALE asks, "Which QB has the 'shortest leash' as starter?"
Several teams announced their starting quarterbacks this week ahead of the first weekend slate of games. Some were more surprising than others. What makes this question more difficult is the fact that many head coaches expect to employ a two-quarterback system, at least early in the season. To answer the question, I'd say the teams with the strongest backups are the most likely to pull the trigger early on a QB switch. Remember, the regular season is just 10 weeks long, so the leashes would be shorter than in the NFL.
Dallas would be the place I'd look first as Austin Reed was named the starter on Wednesday ahead of the Spring King, Luis Perez. Perez's success at this level means the pressure will be on Reed, who comes to the UFL as a decorated college thrower. Nolan Henderson was a bit of a surprise in Houston over Hunter Dekkers. That's another situation that bears watching. Orlando's starter hasn't been officially announced yet, though whoever ends up the number two between Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Jack Plummer could push the other at some point this season.
Rick Ryan asks, "I see Week 2 has a Tuesday game. Why did that come about?"
If you see a game on an odd day, you can be sure there are one of two reasons for it: Either the stadium was unavailable on a normal gameday, or there was no broadcast window for the game on the weekend. More so than what's best for the league, the needs and schedule of the stadiums and networks really come first. It's certainly hard to believe the UFL staff (let alone the teams themselves) would desire a Tuesday night game. So it's safe to blame (or credit, depending on your point of view) either the venues or the networks for that scheduling quirk.
Alexander asks, "Did the Battlehawks defense get better or worse (on paper) from last season? I’m thinking worse with (Willie) Harvey and (Mike) Rose not returning as well as some cornerbacks leaving."
I was pretty high on St. Louis's defense in my position group rankings earlier this week. Losing those pieces mentioned will hurt, as will starting with a new defensive coordinator and new system with all new players. Luckily, most other teams are in that same boat. I think Jordan Williams will match if not exceed Mike Rose's production as inside linebacker. Willie Harvey is out as well, and he was All-UFL last year. Michael Barrett is a candidate to pick up his slack. St. Louis was first in scoring defense last year and second in yards per game allowed. Even if there's drop-off from those numbers, I think they still have the potential to be strong at all three levels in 2026.
P-Thug asks, "Do you think starting (spring football) lifers like (Brandon) Silvers or (Luis) Perez, etc., is a deterrent for this league or for people watching?"
New co-owner Mike Repole seems to believe that players like Silvers and Perez are a deterrent in the league's renewed push to place as many players as possible into the NFL after the season. For players like Silvers and Perez, their time for NFL opportunities has likely passed, even if they may continue to excel at the UFL level. As for whether it's a negative for the league or its perception to have these players earning so much time, I have my doubts. Sure, it's nice to have more fringe NFL players to up the quality, but would people really tune in to see a QB who was on an NFL practice squad over a Perez or Silvers? In fact, players like Perez and Silvers often have more engaging stories to relate to viewers than those still on the cusp of the NFL, and fanbases can become familiar with those players because they have stuck around for a few years. That connection matters.
Aaron Schiro asks, "What's your prediction for most surprising team based on attendance, and most disappointing?"
I think it's easy to St. Louis will disappoint, simply because they've raised the bar so high. That means their numbers have the farthest to potentially decline. That said, in looking at the seating charts for a recent article, I'd say D.C. Coming off a championship last year and with the famed Beer Snake, I was surprised at how slow tickets appeared to be moving there.
As for surprises, maybe Orlando? Just because of how poorly the Guardians did in XFL 2023. There's a low bar for the Storm to clear and Anthony Becht has a way of helping to get the excitement going on social media. I know Orlando also matters to Mike Repole, who said he'd be at every Storm home game. When the boss is that invested, tickets tend to move.
@CHRIS_T1SDALE asks, "With the Dolphins salary cap issues, give me 1 OL, 1 WR, 1 TE, 1 RB, 1 QB, 1 DL, 1 LB, and 1 DB, all from current UFL teams, you would sign as Dolphins GM."
Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan is in his first season in that role, so there's not a lot of history to draw from in terms of how he manages a roster. He's got a new coaching staff as well, led by Jeff Hafley. The two were together in Green Bay the past few seasons, with Hafley serving as defensive coordinator. Miami certainly feels like they're in rebuilding mode (some may use the word "tanking"), having gotten rid of stalwarts like QB Tua Tagovailoa and WR Jaylen Waddle, among others.
With that preface out of the way, here are my choices:
OL: Javion Cohen, St. Louis Battlehawks: Looking at Miami's current depth chart, I sense guard being the weakest spot along the line in terms of depth. Cohen would help alleviate that.
WR: Deon Cain, Birmingham Stallions: As it stands now, the receiver room for the Dolphins is short on size. The 6'2" Cain will give new QB Malik Willis a bigger target in the pass game.
TE: Seth Green, Dallas Renegades: A former QB and WR in college, Green has the athleticism and pass-catching potential currently missing in Miami, where many of their tight ends are of the block-first variety.
RB: Deon Jackson, D.C. Defenders: Miami has the shiftiness and open-field speed covered with De'Von Achane and Jaylen Wright. They've got the pound it between the tackles covered with Ollie Gordon. So how about a guy who can do both in Jackson?
QB: Jason Bean, Louisville Kings: Though not an exact replica, Bean's style is closely associated with Willis and other QBs on the roster.
DL: Ricky Correia, Birmingham Stallions: Miami could use some additional bodies on the interior next to their nose tackles, Kenneth Grant and Jordan Phillips. Correia and Dolphins defensive line coach Austin Clark both attended college at Cal (though not at the same time).
LB: Michael Barrett, St. Louis Battlehawks: Another connection here, as new Dolphins linebackers coach Al Washington was Barrett's position coach for a season at the University of Michigan.
DB: Brandon Sebastian, St. Louis Battlehawks: Sebastian would offer versatility in the defensive backfield for Miami, as well as special teams value. He played for Hafley at Boston College.