Dawgs By Nature
The Cleveland Browns are in the middle of the 2026 offseason, signing new players and shipping off the face of the franchise: Myles Garrett. And in the shadow of this year’s biggest blockbuster trade, the United Football League (UFL) playoffs are set to begin.
There are numerous former Browns players and coaches who are taking their shot at the UFL crown.
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The UFL is allowing these athletes and coaches to keep their dream alive of once again playing in the NFL.
This weekend, the UFL playoffs are in full swing with two games slated on Sunday, June 7. The first contest pits the #1 Orlando Storm against the defending league champions, the #4 seed DC Defenders, with kickoff at 3:00 p.m. (Eastern). The game will be nationally televised on ABC. At 6:00 p.m., the #2 seed St. Louis Battlehawks are set to host the #3 Louisville Kings, with the game broadcast by FOX.
The championship game is called the United Bowl, which is scheduled for Saturday, June 13, at 3:00 p.m. (Eastern) broadcast on ABC.
The Orlando game has been switched to the 10,000-seat Daytona Stadium in Daytona Beach, Florida, about 50 minutes east of Orlando. The Storm play their home games at Inter&Co Stadium, an MLS stadium that is home to Orlando SC, plus the NWSL club Orlando Pride. A prior-committed international soccer match prevented the Storm from using their home stadium, so a new venue was found. Orlando’s Camping World Stadium, home of the Citrus Bowl, is undergoing a massive $400 million renovation.
The UFL is a league that allows former players in all associations to come together and perform, get additional film, receive notoriety, gather additional stats, and get paid to continue their career playing professional football. Last year, 190 UFL players received workout invitations, with 160 getting training camp contracts. When the 2025 NFL season began, of that number, 46 were on an NFL roster beginning Week 1, either on the main roster, practice squad, or on some type of injury list.
The Browns’ 2025 roster had several former UFL players at different intervals on their squad, including two starters: K Andre Szmyt and LS Rex Sunahara. Other UFLers included TE Sal Cannella, RB Toa Taua, CB Keenan Isaac, and LB Charlie Thomas III.
Former Browns linebacker Tony Fields finished second in the league this year in tackles with 77 while playing for the Columbus Aviators.
There are eight teams in the UFL, and several former Clevelanders are involved in this year’s playoffs.
Average home attendance: 9,830 (#4)
It is amazing just how many pro football teams have called Orlando home. But what has happened is that after a few seasons, the league they played in evaporated. So, Orlando fans weren’t exactly slamming down the turnstiles with this new club. The result was a sterling performance and the #1 seed.
Former Browns QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson...
