WR Brandon Smith (Defenders) saw his first regular season action of his NFL career with the New York Jets. Pictured here, Brandon Smith #2 of the DC Defenders celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Arlington Renegades during the fourth quarter at Audi Field on June 02, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/UFL/Getty Images)
Tryouts
It’s unusual this late in the season for a spring football player to get their first workout with an NFL team. But not unheard of. Tuesday, P Sterling Hofrichter (Battlehawks) was one of a handful of punters to try out for the Arizona Cardinals. It was Hofrichter’s first reported workout since the end of the UFL season. Based on publicly available information, he is, by my count, the 106th unique UFL player who ended the season on a roster to earn an NFL workout this year, accounting for over one-quarter of the league. WR Kaden Davis (Panthers), who has been on-and-off practice squads this year, worked out for the Cleveland Browns, also on Tuesday. Joining him at that workout was K Andre Szmyt (Battlehawks). It was Szmyt’s sixth workout of the year, though he has yet to be signed – Cleveland opted to go with K Riley Patterson for the practice squad instead.
More UFL players worked out with teams on Tuesday, as QB Matt Corral (Stallions) and WR Samson Nacua (Panthers) both were in Las Vegas to try out for the Raiders. Neither was immediately signed, and the Raiders instead signed journeyman QB Jake Luton to the practice squad as insurance after QB Aidan O’Connell was expected to miss at least a week due to injury.
Transactions
After his Tuesday workout in Cleveland, WR Kaden Davis (Panthers) signed with the Browns’ practice squad. His last stop was in Denver, where he was waived off their practice squad on October 14. With long snapper Ross Matiscik able to snap last Sunday despite appearing on the injury report, the Jacksonville Jaguars no longer needed to keep an extra player at that position on the practice squad. Therefore, they let LS Tucker Addington (Gamblers) go, who they had just signed the previous week.
The success of K John Parker Romo (Brahmas) in Minnesota meant his phone was not going to stay silent for long after he was let go. Indeed, the New England Patriots came calling, and he signed with their practice squad on Tuesday. New England’s kicker, Joey Slye, has missed six field goals this season and perhaps more importantly, is only on a one-year deal. New England may run out the season with Slye, while giving Romo an opportunity to prove he can be their kicker of the future.
This late in the season, we often see quarterbacks go down with injuries, increasing the need to sign QBs off the street. In week 14, New Orleans lost starter Derek Carr to fractured hand, indicating he’ll be out indefinitely. While Jake Haener steps into Carr’s role leading the team, a third quarterback was needed. Enter QB Ben DiNucci (Sea Dragons), who signed to the Saints’ practice squad Tuesday as their emergency QB.
XFL
*Called upon for his leg four times against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football, Green Bay Packers P Daniel Whelan (Defenders) struggled at times in the 40-degree weather of the Emerald City. Punt number one traveled just 33 yards – it could’ve been more had the Packers punt team not waited until the ball rolled backward a few yards to down it at the Green Bay 46. His second punt was much better, a 51-yarder that was downed at the four-yard line. The Packers’ return team let him down on the third, as a 42-yard punt was returned 12 yards. The final kick, after the two-minute warning, went 44 yards with no return. In all, Whelan punted four times for a gross of 42.5, a net of 39.5, and one inside the 20.
*Handling the frigid conditions at U.S Bank Stadium in Minneapolis well, LS Scott Daly (New York Guardians) snapped on punts and kicks for the Chicago Bears.
*Earning the third start of his career, on the field for the first play as the Miami Dolphins’ nickel back, S Elijah Campbell (Defenders) was not able to find his way onto the stat sheet. That was one of eight snaps he played on defense, good for 16%. He also saw the field on 68% of special teams snaps. For the second week in a row, he did commit a penalty, called for unnecessary roughness on Houston’s successful fake punt play.
*LS Christian Kuntz (Renegades) snapped on all punts and placekicks for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
*It was an ugly victory but a victory nonetheless for the Atlanta Falcons over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night. OT Storm Norton (Wildcats) played four special teams snaps in the win.
*Back in his role as an extra blocker on the offensive line was G Michael Dunn (Dragons). The Cleveland Brown reserve played four snaps on offense. Not that it was solely his fault, but on those four plays, Cleveland gained just one yard, and on one play turned the ball over.
*One snap was all Tampa Bay Buccaneers DT C.J. Brewer (Roughnecks) played on Sunday, one of four Bucs defenders with just one snap on D. It was likely the final play for the Los Angeles Chargers offense, a play that led off a drive and resulted in a turnover (more on that below).
*It was thought early in the week that QB Taylor Heinicke (Battlehawks) would potentially have to start for Justin Herbert, who had a leg injury coming out of last week’s game. However, Herbert was removed from the injury report late in the week and managed to start. Heinicke did enter the game late with the Chargers getting housed 40-17 by the Buccaneers. He was in for one play, a four-yard pass to TE Stone Smartt that was fumbled away. The Bucs were able to run out the clock for the duration.
*Coming on in relief of Lamar Jackson once Baltimore’s game against the New York Giants had been safely put away, QB Josh Johnson (Wildcats) entered with 6:36 left and led two offensive drives. He was sacked once and took a knee on the last play. All other plays were hand-offs.
*It was another quiet afternoon of snapping for Ravens LS Nick Moore (Tampa Bay Vipers).
USFL
*Finding himself back on the inactive list: DT Khalil Davis (Stallions) for the San Francisco 49ers.
*Punts were a rarity in the 48-42 barn-burner that saw the Buffalo Bills hold off the Detroit Lions. Lions WR Maurice Alexander (Stars), the team’s primary punt returner, was held to a scant six special teams snaps.
*Taking a seat on the bench in favor of the combination of A’Shawn Robinson and Shy Tuttle along the defensive line for the Carolina Panthers, DE LaBryan Ray (Stars) still managed an assisted tackle and quarterback hit in playing 48% of defensive snaps.
*Dallas tested the leg of K Brandon Aubrey (Stallions), as Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy sent him out to attempt a 70-yard field goal at the end of the first half. Aubrey was off the mark, short and to the left. It was Aubrey’s only blemish, as he was good from 52, 45, and 41 on the afternoon, while also netting all three of his extra point tries.
*More of a factor in the run game than the receiving game was WR KaVontae Turpin (Generals). He ran twice for 27 yards while in the passing game, he saw just one target from Dallas QB Cooper Rush on 19% of offensive snaps (fifth-most among Dallas receivers in the game). On special teams, Turpin was held in check by Carolina, as he returned two punts for five yards and three kickoffs for 64 yards.
*Beginning the game in a 4-3 alignment allowed DE Jeremiah Pharms, Jr. (Maulers) to start for the New England Patriots at one of the defensive tackle spots. Pharms scored with one assisted tackle in 36% of defensive snaps (adding 52% of the special teams plays as well).
*Add another special teams tackle to the resume of LS Mitchell Fraboni (Maulers), one of the most active at his position in that statistical category for 2024. It’s Fraboni’s fifth of the season, which would vault him to the lead among long snappers in tackles.
UFL
*No longer perfect from beyond 50 yards, K Jake Bates (Panthers) missed his only field goal in Detroit’s high-scoring loss to Buffalo. Bates severely pulled a 52-yarder wide left. Bates nailed his three extra points and very nearly recovered a controversial onside kick, one that came with Detroit down 10 and 12 minutes left to play in the game.
*He didn’t make the eye-catching plays of the previous weeks, but DE Jalen Redmond (Renegades) did start for the second game in a row for the Minnesota Vikings. He had two tackles (one solo, one assist) in playing 40% of the defensive snaps. Redmond was also the recipient of a graphic on Monday Night Football that chronicled his journey, including the stop-over he had in the UFL this past spring.
*Cleveland Browns LS Rex Sunahara (Brahmas) got credit for an assisted tackle on a punt return, helping to stop Chiefs returner Nikko Remigio after four yards late in the third quarter.
*Despite ineffective quarterbacking, the New Orleans Saints were still nearly able to come back against the Washington Commanders. WR Kevin Austin, Jr. (Stallions) was the victim of Jake Haener’s inefficiency. Haener was later replaced by rookie Spencer Rattler. Austin was targeted three times but ended up with just one reception for eight yards. Despite the lack of stats, Austin still played 75% of the offensive snaps for New Orleans.
*Scoring his third sack of the season, and first since September, was LB Dondrea Tillman (Stallions) for the Broncos. It was one of three tackles (two solo, one assist) he had on the day. His sack came against Anthony Richardson on the Colts’ final drive of the game. He produced those numbers in only 29% of defensive snaps (60% on special teams).
*Getting his first practice squad elevation of the year was WR Brandon Smith (Defenders) of the New York Jets. His playing time against the Jaguars amounted to one offensive snap. Nevertheless, it was the first regular season action of his NFL career.
