ARLINGTON, TX – January 6, 2026 – Former United Football League (UFL) standouts continued to make their mark at the highest level during Week 18 of the National Football League (NFL) season. Jake Bates and Andre Szmyt each delivered game-winning field goals on the road to cap their regular seasons, while Harrison Mevis closed out a highly efficient rookie campaign with the Los Angeles Rams. KaVontae Turpin also finished the year strong, showcasing his elite speed on special teams, and Jalen Redmond wrapped up a breakout season on the defensive front by starting all 17 games.
Former Michigan Panthers kicker Jake Bates capped his second NFL season in dramatic fashion, lifting the Detroit Lions to a road victory in the Windy City. Bates connected on four of five field-goal attempts, accounting for 13 of Detroit’s 19 points in blustery conditions against Chicago. With the game on the line, he calmly split the uprights from 42 yards out as time expired, securing a 19-16 win over the NFC North-champion Bears. Bates put the finishing touches on another outstanding season, continuing to prove his consistency and clutch ability at the highest level.
Game-winning kicks proved contagious on Sunday, as former St. Louis Battlehawks standout Andre Szmyt delivered one of his own in Cincinnati. The Cleveland Browns kicker capped his rookie NFL season by starting all 17 games and connecting on a 49-yard field goal as time expired to seal the victory. In cold, windy conditions, nothing fazed Szmyt, who finished the season five of six from 50-plus yards, with a long of 55. His late-season performance further solidified him as a reliable and legitimate NFL kicker.
Andre Szmyt and Jake Bates deliver game-winners in their season finales 🎯
— United Football League (@TheUFL) January 5, 2026
📹: FOX / CBS / NFL#UFLtoNFL pic.twitter.com/9FLRtX0u8D
Former Birmingham Stallions kicker Harrison Mevis, affectionately known as “The Thiccer Kicker,” wrapped up his rookie season with the same consistency that defined his year. Nearly every time his number was called by Super Bowl-winning head coach Sean McVay, Mevis delivered for the Rams. In the season finale against Arizona, he was a perfect three for three on field-goal attempts and four for four on extra-point tries, totaling 13 points. Mevis finished the regular season 12 of 13 on field goals and a flawless 39 for 39 on extra points. He is slated to kick in Carolina this Saturday as the Rams prepare for the Wild Card round.
After a standout performance on Christmas Day in Week 17, KaVontae Turpin followed up with another big showing to close the season. The former New Jersey Generals standout once again displayed his elite speed against division rival New York, returning a kickoff 84 yards and coming just 11 yards shy of his first special-teams touchdown of the season. Turpin finished the year with an NFL-best 1,814 kickoff-return yards, leading the league by 226. Widely regarded as one of the fastest players in the NFL, he backed it up with a monster season on special teams.
Finally, former Dallas Renegades defensive tackle Jalen Redmond completed his first full season in the NFL. After appearing in 13 games last year, Redmond raised the bar by playing in all 17 contests for the Minnesota Vikings during the 2025 campaign. In a Week 18 victory over the Green Bay Packers, he recorded three tackles, finishing the season with 62 total tackles, six sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Redmond’s breakout year further proved he belongs at the highest level on the defensive side of the football.
Overall, 65 players from the past two United Football League seasons, along with alumni from the modern era of spring football (2020–present), have either earned spots on NFL 53-man rosters or been added to practice squads during the 2025 NFL season.