Just like that, the NFL’s 2025-2026 regular season is complete. There were plenty of UFL to NFL athletes who contributed throughout the year – and that remained the same for the final week of action.
Let’s take a look at what all went down this weekend in the NFL.
Dallas Cowboys
WR KaVontae Turpin, Generals
DT Perrion Winfrey, Stallions*
DB Josh Butler, Panthers
K Brandon Aubrey, Stallions
Another week, and more huge performances from a couple of familiar faces on the Dallas Cowboys. KaVontae Turpin kicked things off (literally) in style, with an 84 yard return that he nearly took to the house early on. Turpin had one carry for seven yards, alongside 215 return yards.
DB Josh Butler, who has missed this entire season with an injury, returned to the fold on Sunday and made an impact. Josh totaled five tackles in the loss, active for large portions of the game at DB.
Brandon Aubrey’s struggles continued a bit – missing a 50 yard field goal in the loss. He scored five points, with two XP’s and a 22 yard field goal. Stallions DT Perrion Winfrey was once again inactive up front.
Cleveland Browns
TE Sal Cannella, Renegades
K Andre Szmyt, Battlehawks
LS Rex Sunahara, Brahmas
Andre Szmyt, after starting his NFL season on rocky ground, closed things out strong for the Cleveland Browns. Szmyt knocked through his second game winner of the year, to put the Browns past the Bengals in their season finale. Andre scored eight points in the win, assisted by former Brahmas LS Rex Sunahara.
TE Sal Cannella was active again for his second game, but did not record any statistics, with just one target.
New Orleans Saints
WR Kevin Austin Jr., Stallions
It’s been a productive few weeks for Kevin Austin Jr. with the Saints. He’s been active for five straight games, and in their season finale, he racked up four receptions for 37 yards – with nine targets going his way. A late touchdown reception from Kevin was unfortunately erased from the scoreboard due to a penalty on New Orleans. Regardless, Austin’s strong efforts should give him an opportunity to return to NOLA in 2026.
Atlanta Falcons
DT LaCale London, Battlehawks
For LaCale London, he has made the absolute most of his time in Atlanta this season. After missing most of last year with injuries, or simply stuck on the practice squad, London has been a tremendous interior presence for the Falcons. LaCale totaled four tackles, a sack, a TFL, and a QB hit in Atlanta’s win over New Orleans this weekend.
Denver Broncos
WR Michael Bandy, Roughnecks
DE Dondrea Tillman, Stallions
LS Mitchell Fraboni, Maulers
Dondrea Tillman was on point for the Broncos in their win over Los Angeles, with three tackles to his name. Bandy did not suit up this week, while Fraboni continues to produce as a long snapper in Denver.
Detroit Lions
RB Jacob Saylors, Battlehawks
DB Nick Whiteside, Battlehawks*
K Jate Bates, Panthers
It was the Jake Bates show for the Detroit Lions this weekend, and rightfully so. The trusty kicker nailed four of five field goals against Chicago, including the walkoff winner in the Windy City. Bates scored 13 of Detroit’s 19 points.
Neither Jacob Saylors or Nick Whiteside saw much action or playing time in the final game of the year.
Other UFL To NFL Performances
Renegades DT Jalen Redmond, Vikings: Redmond finished his strong NFL campaign this year with another solid outing for Minnesota. Jalen totaled three tackles in the 16-3 win over Green Bay.
Defenders P Daniel Whelan, Packers: Daniel Whelan was incredibly busy on Sunday afternoon. He had to punt eight times – sending five of those inside Minnesota’s 20 yard line. Daniel averaged an impressive 53.9 yards per punt.
Stallions K Harrison Mevis, Rams: Mevis came through with another perfect outing for Los Angeles. He made three field goals, alongside four XP’s to total 13 points in the 37-20 win over Arizona.
Stars DT LaBryan Ray, Panthers: LaBryan continues his tackle streak over the last few games, with one tackle in the loss to Tampa Bay.
Final Thoughts
It was a jam-packed week of UFL to NFL action. Throughout the year, we saw kickers, return specialists, defensive tackles, wide receivers, edge rushers, running backs, etc. – so many position groups made an impact at the next level. Without the UFL, these stories wouldn’t be possible.
You can stay up to date on all UFL to NFL movement with our official tracker.
What are your thoughts on these Christmas Day performances from UFL players? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
