It’s been quite the journey for UFL quarterback Luis Perez over the years. This week, his story took another interesting turn: drifting up north. Perez signed with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts, heading north of the border for the first time in his career.
This will be a step to watch closely over the coming months. Luis has been in the UFL for the past three seasons, and has been a part of quite literally every single spring league to exist in the United States since 2019. If he opts to remain in the CFL, it’d mark the first time in his career that he wasn’t playing in the states.
For Perez, ‘The Spring King’, this is a move that makes the most sense for his future. It doesn’t rule out the UFL as a possibility in 2027 completely, but it does set him up for bigger contract opportunities in the CFL. At this point, the NFL door has been shut. At his age, and with the amount of years he’s spent in spring ball already – the UFL/CFL are his best routes to go.
Luis had an interesting year in 2026, to say the least. While originally retained by Rick Neuheisel and the Dallas Renegades – the team he started for the past three seasons, Perez was benched. The youngster, Austin Reed, took over the franchise.
This led to Perez ultimately being traded to the St. Louis Battlehawks midway through the year. After just a week or two there, Luis took over as the team’s starter. He finished out the season leading the Battlehawks to a playoff berth, where they fell just short against the Louisville Kings.
THE FIRST @XFL2023 CHAMPIONSHIP TOUCHDOWN IN 22 YEARS.
This is poetic. Luis Perez finds Sal Cannella for a 41 yard score, and the @XFLRenegades take the early lead. Outstanding drive from Perez. #XFLChampionship pic.twitter.com/RD0uFNBYRJ
— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) May 14, 2023
Luis has thrown for well over 10,000 yards throughout his spring football career. He led the Arlington Renegades to an XFL Championship victory in 2023, and also led the UFL in the majority of passing categories in 2024. He will, no doubt, be on spring football’s Mount Rushmore of quarterbacks down the line.
We’ll have to wait and see as to where Perez fits in with Toronto. The Argonauts already feature Chad Kelly as the team’s starter, with Nick Arbuckle and Tucker Horn as backups. It is expected that Luis will be with the team for depth and leadership on the sidelines the remainder of the CFL season – something that provides him with an extra pay check.
What are your thoughts on Luis Perez heading to the CFL? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
