​For many NFL players, secondary leagues such as the XFL and the USFL have long been a last-resort option, and some players even refused to consider them in the past. But that stance is shifting quickly with the emergence of the UFL, and the Denver Broncos are increasingly becoming a magnet for UFL talent looking to repair reputations and restart careers. Luca Evans of the Denver Post examined this shift, opening with a quote from A.J. Smith, the former offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Battlehawks in the UFL. The Battlehawks’ primary audible was called “Solo,” implying that the defense had decided to cover receiver Hakeem Butler one-on-one with a single cornerback. That meant throwing toward Butler, and Smith chuckled while describing the play in the context of other possibilities. “That,” he said, “was our entire offense.”
Butler is now a Bronco, and his signing illustrates how this process tends to unfold. Butler has spent eight years in professional football, and it remains a mystery why he hasn’t found a foothold with more coaches. “I’m like, man, if he doesn’t get to camp soon—I’m like, this guy’s unbelievable,” Smith said. “Because he’s got stuff you can’t coach.” The Broncos have joined six other teams in taking a chance on Butler, and, according to Evans, Denver has signed at least one UFL player every season since 2023. The trend has not gone unnoticed by other UFL coaches either. “It’s almost like—without sitting in that room, they’re reserving a certain number of roster spots for those guys,” said Battlehawks defensive coordinator Corey Chamblin, who coached Broncos linebacker Dondrea Tillman with the Birmingham Stallions in 2024.
Another factor driving this movement is financial. NIL money has created a cushion that allows players to extend their college careers and approach the NFL with a small financial risk, enabling choices they wouldn’t have considered just a few years ago. Broncos coach Sean Payton views this development through a business lens that goes beyond football. “I think it’s kind of becoming that, ‘Okay, where’s the next market?’” Payton said in mid-June. “Players are being developed somewhere. If they’re not in our league, where are they? I think, to the league’s credit, that’s helping us.”
This trend aligns with the UFL’s stated aim of establishing a centralized, developmental ecosystem rather than operating as a loose collection of rosters that often look pieced together haphazardly. The scheduling and player movement within this framework can feel unpredictable, but the Broncos are actively trying to capitalize on the talent available in the interim, with Butler serving as a prime example. The dynamic underscores a broader shift in how NFL teams view alternative leagues: not as mere detours, but as viable pipelines for talent, development, and strategic depth. As more coaches and executives watch closely, the crossover from UFL to NFL rosters could become a more routine pathway rather than a rare exception.