ARLINGTON, TX – September 10, 2026 – After 88 long days since the 2026 United Bowl, professional football is finally back. The NFL regular season is officially here, and 19 UFL alumni are currently on active NFL rosters entering Week 1.
The first former UFL star to take the field will be Birmingham Stallions legend and Los Angeles Rams kicker Harrison Mevis, who will begin the 2026 season all the way in Australia.
Mevis and the Rams will open the season tonight at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, kicking off the NFL’s 2026 International Games. After emerging as a star last season, Mevis had his biggest moment in the NFC Divisional Round when he delivered a game-winning field goal in overtime through the snow in Chicago. Now, he and the Rams will look to start the season 1-0 before rejoining the rest of the league in the United States.
On Sunday, the action continues with a full slate of former UFL stars. During the early Sunday slate, wide receiver Chris Blair and defensive tackle LaCale London will both suit up for the Atlanta Falcons.
Blair spent last season on Atlanta’s practice squad and now prepares for his first NFL action since 2024. London, meanwhile, is coming off a five-sack campaign in 2025 and enters another season in the Falcons’ defensive front.
Kicker Andre Szmyt and long snapper Rex Sunahara will both suit up for the Cleveland Browns, while long snapper Nick Moore is set to start for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Szmyt is entering his second NFL season after connecting on 24 of 27 field goal attempts as a rookie.
One of the weekend’s biggest UFL matchups comes in New Orleans, where the Saints host the Detroit Lions. Jacob Saylors, Tay Martin and Jake Bates make up the group of former UFL players in Detroit, while Jayden Price represents the UFL in New Orleans.
Saylors enters Year 2 with the Lions after a tremendous preseason performance and is expected to receive RB2 reps. Martin is one of just two players from the 2026 UFL season to earn an active NFL roster spot. He will contribute on both offense as a receiver and on special teams. Bates, meanwhile, is set for his third season as Detroit’s kicker.
On the other sideline, Price is preparing for his NFL debut after spending all of last season on the Saints’ practice squad. The former UFL defensive back stood out throughout the preseason and earned his way onto the final roster.
The early Sunday slate also features former UFL stars Daniel Whelan, Tucker Addington and Jalen Redmond.
Whelan will handle punting duties for the Green Bay Packers, while Addington is the long snapper for the Miami Dolphins. Redmond enters another season as a starting defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings after recording six sacks while playing all 17 games in 2025.
Then comes Sunday Night Football, and four more UFL alumni under the bright NBC lights. Brandon Aubrey, KaVontae Turpin and Ameer Speed will represent the UFL with the Dallas Cowboys, while Elijah Campbell does the same for the New York Giants.
Aubrey, formerly of the Birmingham Stallions, became the highest-paid kicker in NFL history during the offseason and enters the season widely regarded as one of the best kickers in football. Turpin was an NFL All-Pro returner after leading the league in kick return yards in 2025. Speed, meanwhile, became the final player from the 2026 UFL season to earn an active NFL roster spot. The former Houston Gamblers defensive back was an integral piece of Houston’s defense and special teams units this spring and now brings that versatility to Dallas.
Across the field, former DC Defenders defensive back Elijah Campbell is prepared for his first season with the Giants. Campbell previously spent time with the Miami Dolphins and has appeared in 42 NFL games over the past three seasons.
Four UFL alumni under the Sunday Night Football lights. Hard to beat that.
Week 1 then wraps up with another former UFL star on Monday Night Football, as Dondrea Tillman and the Denver Broncos take the field. The former Stallion has become a staple in Denver’s linebacking corps after recording four sacks and two interceptions last season.
From Australia to Sunday Night Football and all the way through Monday night, the UFL-to-NFL pipeline will be on full display. In total, 44 former UFL players from the modern era of spring football are currently on NFL active rosters and practice squads.
The UFL-to-NFL pipeline is legit and Week 1 is about to put it on full display.