Quinten Dormady of the San Antonio Brahmas looks on prior to a game against the Michigan Panthers (UFL Photo)
Per the UFL transaction wire, the San Antonio Brahmas and Memphis Showboats consummated the first trade of the UFL off-season yesterday. The Brahmas sent QB Quinten Dormady to the Showboats for LB Jordan Ferguson. Here’s a breakdown on the trade from each team’s perspective.
Why it works for San Antonio
It was just last week that the Brahmas landed QB Kellen Mond, presumably to lead the team in 2025. Late season pickup Kevin Hogan re-signed earlier in the off-season, giving San Antonio an unusual amount of depth for that position. Thus, Dormady became expendable.
In Ferguson, the Brahmas are getting yet another pass rusher for head coach Wade Phillips’s defense. The team lost edge players Zach Morton and Wyatt Ray to the NFL and while they’re currently free agents, they’ve yet to re-sign with the Brahmas for 2025. Ferguson could end up replacing Ray’s production or complimenting it if Ray returns.
Why it’s a questionable move for San Antonio
As stated, it’s unusual for spring football teams to have the kind of depth at quarterback San Antonio had accumulated heading into 2025. It’s a good thing to have, and trading some of that depth comes with risks. What happens if Mond isn’t equipped to start, even in this league? What if Mond or Hogan get injured? Given the injuries that pile up late in the season in the NFL, what if a team from that league comes calling for Mond, taking him off the table for San Antonio next year?
Had the Brahmas held firm with these three for 2025, they could’ve traded Dormady closer to training camp or even during, maybe getting a bigger haul in return from a team desperate for QB help. In Ferguson, the Brahmas acquire a position that’s already considered a strength. There are other holes elsewhere on San Antonio’s roster (kicker?) that perhaps could’ve been filled in this deal.
Why it works for Memphis
Job one for new head coach Ken Whisenhunt and general manager Jim Monos was to figure out the quarterback situation. The team started three QBs last year due to injury and ineffectiveness. Troy Williams had already re-signed earlier in the off-season, but that was before Whisenhunt and Monos came aboard. There’s no guarantee he fits into what they want to do on offense.
Dormady gives the Showboats a proven commodity in spring football at the position. He may have to compete for the starting role, and that’s okay. Expect the team to add a third quarterback at some point, whether it’s someone from last season or a new face.
Despite being a key figure on the defense last season, Ferguson would be a small price to pay if Dormady ends up as the starter. Memphis’s defense was at the bottom of most statistical categories last season. While they’ll certainly look to improve on those numbers, Ferguson’s departure can’t cause them to fall any further.
Why it’s a questionable move for Memphis
Dormady’s ceiling is high but we’ve seen that his floor is quite low. If Memphis brings him in as their presumed starter without a real competition for the job, that could prove troublesome in the regular season. And trading a key asset like Ferguson, arguably the team’s best defender, for Dormady is a risk. Memphis may have been wise to look outside the UFL for help before devoting resources to trading for a 2024 backup QB and expecting him to be the answer in 2025.
While Memphis needed a quarterback, he’s just one of 11 on an offense that requires an overhaul for Dormady (or whomever) to be effective. Without upgrades along the offensive line, Dormady will be a sitting duck just as Case Cookus was last year. Making moves to improve the O-Line may have been preferable as the first step in the rebuild than addressing the quarterback.
By shipping Ferguson out, the team traded their leading sack artist from 2024. A strong pass rush is key to an effective defense, especially in a spring league in which top-tier offensive linemen are sparse. If Dormady doesn’t win the starting job, the trade of Ferguson will look even worse in retrospect. Memphis hasn’t had much of an off-season due to the leadership of the team being in flux, so trading the rare key player could prove regrettable.
1 thought on “Brahmas QB Dormady shipped to Showboats – why it works, and doesn’t work, for each team”
The trade is very interesting. It is not Luis Perez for Ryan Mueller for sure as both players bring a lot of game. Quinten Dormady is a gifted quarterback. He has been uneven so far for sure, but as you wrote he has tremendous upside. Think about Kurt Warner in Arizona. I think that is the lightning Monos and Whisenhunt are hoping to recapture. I think it’s something they see. Quinten is a true football player and seems to be a good teammate and tries to listen to his coach. It may be that his troubles so far might be what helps him grow to be a very good quarterback as they have humbled him so he will try to learn, but still hasn’t neutered him making him to afraid to QB. Could Jay Adams become Larry Fitzgerald, we shall see. I felt he was much tougher in 2024. He showed a propensity to fight for the bowl and come down with contested catches. Jordan Ferguson on the other hand is a UFL stud. As you had mentioned he could be a great addition to the likes of Ray. Ray’s strength and first step makes him a real problem for opposing quarterbacks. When add the rest of the Brahmas in their posse type defense, it only makes him stronger. Like Breeland Speaks he is relentless. His motors starts on the movement of the ball and doesn’t stop until well after the whistle. Yes that is both a compliment and a bit of a slight. He is not afraid to reverse field and often can be seen around or making the tackle ten yards down field. Add to this an edge rusher that plays more like a linebacker. Tough enough to fend of a tackle while going around him, but has enough lateral quickness and agility to beat the fastest running backs to sideline, while having the tackling ability to make sure he stops there. To be honest, I watched like 5 or 6 Showboats games and NEVER seem him do anything that was borderline dirty. He might actually make the Brahmas defense even better by being as tough as they are, while maintaining sportsmanship that makes the game and the league better. It would not surprise me is Wade Phillips specifically asked for him. Before the season started I thought the two most talented teams in the XFL Conference were the Defenders & the Battlehawks, but it was funny that I specifically stated that coaching is so important that I could easily see the Brahmas there at the end. It should really be interesting to see how this plays out in 2025. A point you made, however if the Showboats don’t figure out their line situation the point will be moot and by the way Alec Lindstrom has been signed by the Jets again.
The trade is very interesting. It is not Luis Perez for Ryan Mueller for sure as both players bring a lot of game. Quinten Dormady is a gifted quarterback. He has been uneven so far for sure, but as you wrote he has tremendous upside. Think about Kurt Warner in Arizona. I think that is the lightning Monos and Whisenhunt are hoping to recapture. I think it’s something they see. Quinten is a true football player and seems to be a good teammate and tries to listen to his coach. It may be that his troubles so far might be what helps him grow to be a very good quarterback as they have humbled him so he will try to learn, but still hasn’t neutered him making him to afraid to QB. Could Jay Adams become Larry Fitzgerald, we shall see. I felt he was much tougher in 2024. He showed a propensity to fight for the bowl and come down with contested catches. Jordan Ferguson on the other hand is a UFL stud. As you had mentioned he could be a great addition to the likes of Ray. Ray’s strength and first step makes him a real problem for opposing quarterbacks. When add the rest of the Brahmas in their posse type defense, it only makes him stronger. Like Breeland Speaks he is relentless. His motors starts on the movement of the ball and doesn’t stop until well after the whistle. Yes that is both a compliment and a bit of a slight. He is not afraid to reverse field and often can be seen around or making the tackle ten yards down field. Add to this an edge rusher that plays more like a linebacker. Tough enough to fend of a tackle while going around him, but has enough lateral quickness and agility to beat the fastest running backs to sideline, while having the tackling ability to make sure he stops there. To be honest, I watched like 5 or 6 Showboats games and NEVER seem him do anything that was borderline dirty. He might actually make the Brahmas defense even better by being as tough as they are, while maintaining sportsmanship that makes the game and the league better. It would not surprise me is Wade Phillips specifically asked for him. Before the season started I thought the two most talented teams in the XFL Conference were the Defenders & the Battlehawks, but it was funny that I specifically stated that coaching is so important that I could easily see the Brahmas there at the end. It should really be interesting to see how this plays out in 2025. A point you made, however if the Showboats don’t figure out their line situation the point will be moot and by the way Alec Lindstrom has been signed by the Jets again.