Per Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal, the UFL’s quarterbacks did not report to training camp this past Sunday. All 24 quarterbacks were scheduled to get in a quarterbacks-only practice Monday through Wednesday with the rest of the league’s players reporting on March 3rd. At issue, the proposed labor contract for the 2025 UFL season.
A letter, signed by all 24 players was sent to UFL President Russ Brandon and Executive Vice President Daryl Johnston.
The proposal our Players Association received on Thursday was unacceptable and insulting. We – all of the quarterbacks in the UFL – have collectively decided not to attend the UFL quarterback training camp this weekend in Arlington, Texas, in proposal of that proposal and the message that is sent to us as players.
The United Football Players Association is the new entity representing the players for the 2025 season. In 2024 the United Football League players were represented by the United Football League Players Association (UFLPA), a local union affiliated with the United Steelworkers. That ended after the season, and the rumor players joining the NFL Players Association never can to fruition. UFL News Hub sources had told us that the NFLPA had no interest in bringing on the UFL players.
The UFL release the following statement;
The United Football League continues to negotiate in good faith with the players union to finalize a collective bargaining agreement, which will be beneficial both to the players and the league.
To be clear, this is not a strike, because currently there is no collective bargain agreement in place between the players and the league. Per Ben Fischer ,both sides have been working on an agreement since December. The UFPA got the current proposal February 21st with a “negligible” increase in player compensation over last year. We have a full breakdown of UFL player compensation from 2024. Last season players made $5,500 per week.
This is the first time, since we have been covering Spring Football, that we had run into anything like this. On the one hand, the UFL seems to have been spending more money in 2025. They opened their new 111,000-square foot location for its league headquarters. However, they also let go part of their leagues ticket sales staff a month ago. UFL News Hub is hearing from sources that ticket sales are over 50% less than this time last year.
Players are asking for a bump in pay and year round health insurance. We are hearing from sources that it would cost the UFL 2.5 million per season just for health insurance year round. With ticket sales expected to be down, that ain’t happening.
At the same time, there is rumblings around the agent world that some UFL QB’s got paid above the per week limit and some did not. Making the whole thing a tricky situation.
The league and union have four days to get this resolved. Transparency needs to be the key to getting a deal done. The second season of the United Football League is set to kickoff on Friday March 28th.
5 Comments
by 4th&long
We finally get a spring league that has no financial issues funding the league with no media talk of folding… and then the UFPA idiots pull this crap. I have no doubt that the ownership will pull the plug if pushed, and that’s that for spring FB. There is no need for a player union in a startup league… none.
If this news gets traction (its already on PFT) get ready for UFL closure and a bunch of shocked players, clueless about the UFL financial condition and ownership’s willingness to flush it all away if necessary.
Who is advising these players? Morons?
As you said Mark, another $2.5mm out of pocket ain’t happening. Players knew what they were getting into and its time to focus on the FB. Set a date in July to start negotiations for 2026 but this crap from the players needs to end pronto.
by Gary Winter
Holy cow 4th,
It’s called negotiation for a reason! This doesn’t mean the league is folding because the players want a little more for their families and the owners want to save a little “just in case”. You seem to think that the players should just follow in step and take whatever they’re offered because the business is more important than the worker, right? It’s not. The business is the players. They made their protest and let the owners know they don’t agree with some things. What is wrong with that? When I go to a Battlehawk’s game, I don’t go to watch The Rock or Moose, I go to watch Hakeem Butler and his teammates. What’s wrong with them trying to stand up for themselves? This doesn’t mean they’re going on strike or refusing to do their jobs. It’s the only way to let the owners know that the status quo isn’t acceptable to them and they would like to address their issues.
If they just individually approached the owners on their own, I’m pretty sure they would get shot down pretty quickly.
The owners try to give as little as possible and the players try to get as much as they can. It’s the same as many other jobs, just more public.
by Ken Granito
Well I bought my opening day tickets for the Defenders vs Stallions. Let’s hope there is a game to be viewed. I have previously stated on more than a few occasions that the salary is about right for a football league trying to establish itself. That stated I do feel the league should do some things to help encourage players by showing that they understand that the player is accepting a salary the league hopes will be better in the future and that the wishes they were in a place to pay more. I feel the league should reward loyalty by providing its own loyalty and pay players $1,000 a year for each season they have played in the legacy UFL(meaning, XFL, USFL and UFL). E.g. Let’s say the league pays out 57,000 annually for active players, Jonathan Adams would receive $60,000 as he has 3 years experience as he played in 2022 & 2023 with the USFL and 2024 with the XFL so he would be paid $300 a week more than say DeWayne McBride a first year UFL players fresh off his first pro season. This can be capped somewhere around $3,500 annually as the idea is to reward UFL veterans as the league as fans do recognize the stars of the league, but not to make such a big difference the players would simply be released due to their salary. As a football career is on average four years it would express to the players and fans alike that they respect their stars’ efforts and they understand and hope that although they cannot pay those players a great salary now, they can show their understanding by respecting those players, that those players are simply not just widgets used to help their company grow. I hope they can come to a conclusion and 4th & Long I do like your thoughts regarding this being something they need to work out after the season, but to run a business by camp invites and not to discuss salary until the start of camp is really not a good business model. Maybe it’s what they feel they can do now, but clearly it’s not a good practice. It does seem to me that the league is prepared to dip into its pool of prospects, however as some players don’t report to camp. Who know how far this goes.
I appreciate the solidarity of the quarterbacks. Younger players trying to show their wares to the NFL are more likely to accept a lower salary having gotten out of college and were paid well on a NFL practice squad. For those handful of quarterbacks to stand united with their veteran teammates who have already had a couple of camps with the NFL and seem more like UFL players and part-time NFL campers is a great sign for the message and the their values. This is how I see it. The UFL should start it’s tickets at $20 and at no time should go higher than $60 for a regular season ticket and that in special cases. With that fans should support their local teams as it would be a great value. AS a baseline is created the league can then better know what they can afford to pay their players while keeping a fair and safe bottom line. It should be interesting to what extent this comes about for 2025. Was this a one-time thing with only a few players failing to report so we can see the likes of Darius Victor, Josh Love, Vinny Papale, Binjimin Victor and Ethan Westbrooks or do does the chasm become so wide we see former UFL prospects such as Isiah Hennie, Nate Holley, Ahmad Dixon & Will Likely re-surfacing, players that have helped the league get off the ground, but have been stretched past where they could help in the current landscape. Hoping we can get to see what the league can be.
by Ken Granito
and it would be very cool if the league can come up with a benefits package to help the players of the league. There may need to be a deeper dive to see how much money is made from TV revenue and to see that a fair amount is credited to the league so we don’t simply hear about how much money the league is making while the broadcasting companies prosper from strong ratings. I don’t know how much they are prospering. I am only saying that maybe some research needs to be done so the league and players union can negotiate in good faith, but after the season.
by 4th&long
To quote Jace Sternberger: Jace@_Jstern
Idk how that’s a flex. Birmingham QBs aren’t holding out. That’s all I said . Also never said I’m not supporting other players that’s you being emotionally invested. The point of the UFL is to get another opportunity not a payday.. broseph. 2:34 PM · Feb 27, 2025
That’s what the UFL is all about, another opportunity to get to play FB or make it to the NFL or even CFL..
Is the comp bad? Not really.
55k for active roster all season
3.2k for full camp
2.75k extra on avg for semifinals (4 teams get 1 extra week, avg over 8 teams)
1.375k extra on avg for finals (2 teams get 1 extra week, avg over 8 teams)
That’s 62k+ on avg per player for 16 weeks,
+ a winning championship bonus (i think) and honors bonuses
Is that bad for a part yr job? Learning more FB for a career in FB or FB coaching – hell no.
I think the UFL having only one salary tier is a potential issue and why McCarron is out and XFL didn’t want a union. QB’s are tied to the same salary as all the other players. If QB’s got 5-20k more per active roster or start that would solve the 24QB holdout issue.
And that’s what this issue is about, the other players didn’t signoff on that letter just QBs.