Hello and welcome to the District. This is an updated megathread for the 2026 season.

In order to keep all of the important information consolidated and easy to reference, I've decided to put everything in this thread and leave it stickied for everyone's convenience.

WHO ARE THE DC DEFENDERS?

You can reference the wikipedia article here for a history of the DC Defenders:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DC_Defenders

TLDR: The DC Defenders were established in 2020 as part of the revived XFL. The Defenders had the most wins in the XFL East Division prior to the Covid shutdown. The team was brought back for the 2023 XFL season, beating the Seattle Sea Dragons in the XFL North Division Championship, and going on to lose the 2023 XFL Championship against the Arlington Renegades. The team was then carried over into the new United Football League (UFL) for the 2024 season as one of 4 teams in the XFL Conference following a merger with the USFL. The Defenders won both the XFL Conference Championship and the UFL Championship in 2025. The team is confirmed to be returning for the 2026 season.

IMPORTANT DATES

Training camp begins late February, 2026. Exact dates will be updated once confirmed.

Teams will continue to have 50-man rosters.

GAME SCHEDULE

The league has confirmed the kickoff date of March 27, 2026.

Notes:

• Two of the week 5 games have been corrected from the 1st version of the schedule. The DC Defenders will play the Birmingham Stallions on April 24th, and the Louisville Kings will play the Dallas Renegades on April 26th.

• The league has confirmed the site of the 2026 UFL Championship will be Audi Field in DC, and the game will now be called the United Bowl going forward.

Updated schedule graphic here for anyone that prefers images to text.

Click here for more information on the schedule. League press release here.

DC Defenders ticket hub here. Season tickets are available now. Single game tickets will be available to the public on Monday, February 2, starting at 11:00 a.m.

The league has confirmed there will be no more XFL or USFL Conferences, and the top 4 teams in the league will qualify for the playoffs.

Click here for more information on the schedule.

Gameday themes and giveaways for all home games below:

GAME 1: DEFEND THE DISTRICT – CHAMPIONS CELEBRATION - APRIL 11

City / Market Celebration Night

The Defenders will kick off the season by honoring the city and the fans who powered the team to victory with Defend the District: Champions Celebration.

The evening will feature a special championship ceremony, and trophy photo opportunities for fans, as the Defenders celebrate their 2025 UFL Championship. The celebration will spotlight the culture, pride, and resilience of Washington, D.C., recognizing the community that stands behind the team every step of the way.

Gate Giveaway: “Red Out” Championship T-shirt.

Fans are encouraged to wear red and create a sea of Defenders pride inside the stadium.

GAME 2: UNITED BY GIVING – DC TACKLES HUNGER - APRIL 18

League-Wide Social Impact Initiative

As part of the UFL’s league-wide “United by Giving” initiative, the Defenders will host DC Tackles Hunger, a game dedicated to supporting food access across the region.

Partnering with leading local hunger relief organizations, the Defenders will raise awareness and drive tangible impact through donation campaigns and community engagement efforts. This night underscores the power of football to bring people together for meaningful change.

Gate Giveaway: Clear Tote

Fans are encouraged to join the Defenders in tackling food insecurity across the DMV.

GAME 3: DEFENDERS SCHOOL SPIRIT SHOWCASE - MAY 2

School Pride Night

The Defenders will celebrate students, educators, and school communities across the region with the Defenders School Spirit Showcase.

Fans are invited to wear their school colors and represent their alma maters as the stadium transforms into a vibrant display of school pride. The night will feature special recognitions for local schools and educators who make an impact in classrooms and communities every day.

Gate Giveaway: Defenders Championship Flag

Wave your flag and show your school and District pride.

GAME 4: HATS OFF TO HEROES - MAY 9

Military & First Responders Appreciation Night

The Defenders proudly present Hats Off to Heroes, an annual tribute to the brave men and women who defend our country and our community.

The game will honor active-duty military, veterans, first responders, teachers, and community helpers through in-game recognitions and special programming.

Gate Giveaway: Commemorative Defenders Hat

A symbol of gratitude for those who serve.

GAME 5: DEFENDERS KIDS DAY - MAY 31

Youth & Family Celebration

The Defenders close out their theme slate with Defenders Kids Day: Suit Up D.C. Kids – It’s Your Day to Defend the District!

Designed to engage young fans and families, Kids Day will feature interactive experiences throughout the stadium and opportunities for youth football players — from recreational leagues to high school tackle and flag programs — to connect with the team.

Highlights include youth football clinics, family-focused entertainment, and special recognitions for local youth programs that share a love of the game.

Gate Giveaway: White Defenders T-shirt

Giveaways available to the first 5k fans in attendance.

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN (USA)

All games are expected to be broadcast on Fox, ABC, ESPN, FS1, and NFL Network.

For streaming options, you can use the ESPN+ app for the ABC and ESPN games, and the Fox Sports app for the Fox games (Fox Sports app requires a subscription to either Direct TV, Fubo TV, Sling TV, Dish, or Hulu Sports).

FOX Sports and ESPN have a bundle available to access all of their content, which would include all UFL games. Click here for more info. EDIT: NFL Network content is supposed to be available through the ESPN Unlimited package which is included in the bundle.

Some other options for NFL Network here.

Sling TV (Orange + Blue) will have ESPN, FOX, and NFL Network bundled together. You can check it out here. A little less expensive than Fubo, YouTubeTV, and Hulu (which are the other streaming options that include FOX, ESPN, and NFL Network).

All of the ABC and ESPN games will be on ESPN Xtra on SiriusXM. All of the Fox games will be available on Fox Sports on SiriusXM.

HOW TO WATCH (INTERNATIONAL)

For US Military living abroad, the best legal option is USTVNow.com.

DAZN has announced they will be serving as the UFL's international broadcast partner for the season. Article here. Please note: this deal excludes Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, China, sub-Saharan Africa, Canada, and the US.

Germans have access to watch the UFL on Germany TV for free this season. Click this link for more information

Canada has access to Fox and ABC over the air, and it is expected that ESPN broadcasts will be available on TSN and the TSN+ app. There are workarounds for Canadians to access games on the ESPN+ and the Fox Sports app using VPNs . Click here for more information.

International audiences from the excluded territories are recommended to research what streaming platforms are available in their countries that carry FOX, ABC, and ESPN.

WHERE TO BUY TICKETS?

You can buy tickets from the UFL site here.

Season ticket renewals for existing season ticket members here

Season ticket deposits can be placed here

Season ticket sales are now open as of October 28th, 2025!

DC Defenders season tickets direct link here

DC Defenders season ticket seating map & price chart here.

DC Defenders Season Ticket Member Benefits:

Audi Field seating map for DC Defenders season tickets can be found here for reference.

Beer snake sections are 136 and 137.

For a guide on which seats to buy to stay in the shade, info here.

Kids Club link here.

Single game tickets available as of February 2, 2026. Direct link here.

For any other ticket information, contact the Defenders ticket rep at tickets@ufldefenders.com or (771) 200-3660.

PARKING & TAILGATING INFO

All of the Defenders home games are played at Audi Field, 100 Potomac Ave SW, Washington, DC.

Audi Field has several locations of gates that may be used for entry and exit:

• Gate A – Located on the Northeast corner of the stadium at the corner of Potomac Ave SW 7 1st St SW

• Gate B – Located on the East side of the stadium at the corner of 1st St SW & S St SW.

• Gate C – Located on the Northwest corner of the stadium at the corner of 2nd St SW & R St SW. Across from Fort Mcnair.

• Premium Entry – Located on the east side of the stadium between Gate A & Gate B. Adjacent to the Ticketmaster box office.

Stadium map here for reference.

The Geico Garage located at Nationals Park will be open and available on a game-by-game basis for Audi Field Events beginning two hours prior to kickoff.

Parking spots at GEICO Garage will be priced at $60 and will be available for purchase via credit card only (no cash) at the GEICO Garage on match days. There will be no pre-sales.

The garage will open to fans 2.5 hours before kick-off, and close 2.5 hours after the match ends. No overnight parking, no oversized vehicles, must be below clearance (7ft 8in), no storage in parking spots (Trailers, etc.), and no tailgating.

The following are public transit options to access the stadium:

• By Metro - Audi Field is located at the Navy Yard metro station and is accessible on the green line. The closest transfer point from blue, orange, silver, red, and yellow lines is L’Enfant Plaza. MetroRail hours of operation, fares, and delay information can be found at their website, wmata.com. You can find a map of the various lines here.

• By Bus - Audi Field is accessible by the 74 and P6 Metrobus lines. For more information, visit wmata.com.

• By Bicycle - There is a complimentary bicycle valet is located at the corner of 2nd Street SW and T Street. We also offer multiple bike racks around Audi Field. There is a Capital Bike Share station at the corner of First Street and K Street SE.

The Metro is recommended by fans as the best option to access the stadium. Recommended walking routes from transit can be found here.

Since tailgating is not allowed at the stadium, most fans recommend meeting up at one of the bars in Navy Yard such as Mission (1221 Van Street SE, Washington, DC), Walters (10 N St SE, Washington, DC), or The Bullpen (1201 Half St SE, Washington, DC). All of the above are within walking distance of Audi Field.

The DC Defenders also announced an official collaboration with a bunch of local bars for the 2025 season, which you can read more about below:

The DC Defenders announced today a collaboration with over a dozen local establishments to create the Defenders Bar Network for the 2025 spring football season. Each bar, brewery, and eatery serve as a gathering place for Defenders fans to enjoy game day food and drink specials as well as watch parties when the team is on the road.

Throughout the year, the Defenders will also host events at official Bar Network partner locations that include player meet and greets and merchandise giveaways.

“Sports fandom and community go hand in hand. By connecting Defenders faithful with local bars and restaurants, we offer a place to gather every game day and watch every away game,” said Kate Greenberg, Vice President of Team Business for the DC Defenders. “We are proud to partner with more than a dozen great local establishments that are important parts of our community where we live, work and play football.”

New for the 2025 season, the Defenders Bar Network has expanded beyond Navy Yard to also include partners in other parts of the District and into Virginia.

Partners include:

Aslin Beer Co. (Logan Circle)

1740 14th Street NW

Washington, DC 20009

Aslin Beer Co. (Alexandria)

847 S Pickett Street

Alexandria, VA 22304

Astro Beer Hall (Downtown)

1306 G Street NW

Washington, DC 20005

City-State Brewing Co. (Edgewood)

705 Edgewood Street NE

Washington, DC 20017

Crystal City Sports Pub (Arlington)

529 23rd Street S

Arlington, VA 22202

Dacha Beer Garden (Navy Yard)

79 Potomac Avenue SE

Washington, DC 20003

Grand Central DC (Adams Morgan)

2447 18th Street NW

Washington, DC 20009

Heritage Brewing Co. (Manassas)

9436 Center Point Lane

Manassas, VA 20110

Ivy and Coney (Shaw)

1537 7th Street NW

Washington, DC 20001

metrobar (Brentwood)

640 Rhode Island Avenue NE

Washington, DC 20002

Public Bar Live(Dupont Circle)

1214 18th Street NW

Washington, DC 20036

RowHouse at Cambria (Capitol Riverfront)

69 Q Street SW

Washington, DC 20024

Solace Brewing Company (Navy Yard)

71 Potomac Avenue SE

Washington, DC 2003

Walters Sports Bar (Navy Yard)

10 N. Street SE

Washington, DC 20003

For the latest list of partners and upcoming events, fans can visit https://www.theufl.com/dc-bar-network.

WHERE TO GET MERCH?

The official UFL store was closed on September 30th, and is expected to relaunch on November 10th. We will update with the link to the new UFL store once open.

Shirts are currently available from 108 Stitches here.

You can also find DC Defenders and other UFL merchandise sold at Dick's Sporting Goods. Direct link to their Defenders gear is here.

Collectible Xchange has some game-worn jerseys which you can check out here.

Royal Retros also has reproductions of the 2020 Defenders jerseys which you can check out here.

INFO FOR NEWCOMERS

For your reference, the below is some basic information for newcomers to the Defenders fan community.

• The Shield Crew: This is what the Defenders call their fans (previously referred to as the Shieldmen).

• Team Slogan/Rally Cry: Officially, it's SHIELDS UP! The Shield Crew also use, "DEFEND DC!".

• The Mascot: The team mascot is Monty the Python.

• The Beer Snake: This is a fan tradition at games that started during the 2020 XFL season. You can check out this article published by the league for more information.

• Lemons: For the first game of the 2023 XFL season, Audi Field banned the beer snake, which caused fans to protest by throwing lemons (provided as garnish for drinks served from the concession stands) onto the field. The league worked with Audi Field to remove the ban on the beer snake following this incident (beer snake was then confirmed as being allowed in specific sections of the stadium). Lemons have remained a part of the fan iconography ever since.

• Rivals: Biggest rivals are the St. Louis Battlehawks and Dallas Renegades.

• Official Fight Song: Put Your Hands Up High

If you're new to the league in general, check out this thread and this thread for beginners. Lots of good information there.

PREVIOUS SEASON REVIEW

Our community does an end-of-season team write-up each year. You can check out the write-up on the 2024 season here and the 2025 season here. Both write-ups were authored by /u/Pitiful_Ad8641, and serve as a good and informative recap of the last two seasons for anyone that missed it from the UFL community.

TLDR: Defenders had an up and down season in 2024, finished third in the XFL Conference and missed the playoffs. Head Coach Reggie Barlow and DC Gregg Williams departed in 2025, replaced by Shannon Harris and Blake Williams, respectively. The team went on to win both the XFL Conference Championship and the UFL Championship in 2025.

2025 UFL COLLEGE DRAFT

The 2025 College Draft is not happening. Instead, the following has been reported:

• HC may choose a maximum of 3 players from his allocated colleges (see below)
• League discretion if player attended 2 or more colleges
• UFL teams will retain right of first refusal (ROFR) to sign players from their allocated colleges throughout the season
• January 10, 2026 finalize college allocations

UFL College Allocations:

• Birmingham: Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, UAB
• Columbus: Indiana, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State
• Dallas: Baylor, SMU, TCU, Texas, North Texas
• DC: Maryland, Penn State, Virginia, Virginia Tech
• Houston: Houston, LSU, Rice, Texas A&M
• Louisville: Cincinnati, Kentucky, Louisville, Tennessee
• Orlando: Florida, Florida State, USF, UCF
• St. Louis: Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Missouri

Further information included below in the 2026 player allocation plan (noted further down).

Results of the college allocation here.

CURRENT ROSTER LIST

For anyone interested, up to date roster lists, as well as tracking of UFL player movement, can be found on this Google sheets document maintained by Nick Thorn from Pro Football Newsroom. This is the best and most organized list available, and also includes information on the coaching staff, and pre-merger players (e.g. AAF, XFL, and USFL).

Direct link to the roster page is here.

UFL 2026 Player Allocation Plan

The UFL is planning to establish a new allocation process for teams to have first rights to sign players from local college football programs. This new allocation system will be in place for 2026 and onward.

The following are the details reported to date.

1. Build Player Pool

• Regional Scouts + National Scout to collaborate on evaluations/grades
• Each scout assigned to evaluate and grade two UFL rosters + free agents by position groups
• Also utilize evaluations from UFL GM visits to NFL training camps

Player Pool will consist of the following players:

• Players who finished the 2025 UFL season on Active Rosters + Injured Reserve + LOI's
• 2025 NFL Draft "eligibles"
• 2025 NFL training camp "cuts"
• 2026 NFL Draft eligibles
• Top Showcase attendees
• Other Free Agents

2. Quarterback "Assignments"

• Head Coaches to submit lists of top 5 to QBs in priority order
• League office assigns 3 QBs to each team based on HC lists
• College Allocation (see #3) and other considerations will be taken into account when assigning QBs - especially if two UFL teams list the same QB #1
• HCS, OCs and League office to recruit QBs following assignments
• January 5 finalize assignments
• January 9 is the QB draft.
• Results of the QB draft announced on January 12.

3. College Allocation: Jan 10

• HC may choose a maximum of 3 players from his allocated colleges (see below)
• League discretion if player attended 2 or more colleges
• UFL teams will retain right of first refusal (ROFR) to sign players from their allocated colleges throughout the season
• January 10 finalize college allocations

UFL College Allocations:

• Birmingham: Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, UAB
• Columbus: Indiana, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State
• Dallas: Baylor, SMU, TCU, Texas, North Texas
• DC: Maryland, Penn State, Virginia, Virginia Tech
• Houston: Houston, LSU, Rice, Texas A&M
• Louisville: Cincinnati, Kentucky, Louisville, Tennessee
• Orlando: Florida, Florida State, USF, UCF
• St. Louis: Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Missouri

4. UFL Draft

• Tentatively scheduled January 13-14 in Arlington
• 2 Segments (see below)

Segment 1: UFL Players Draft (Jan 13)

• All players who finished the 2025 season on Active Rosters + Injured Reserve + LOI's
• "Snake Style" by position; rotate the order for each position group (see below). After the first round, the eighth team will select first in the second round, the seventh team will choose second, and so forth. The order reverts back to the original order in the third round and alternates every round thereafter.
• No max or min must be drafted for any position group

Position Groups:

• Offensive Line
• Running Backs/ Tight Ends
• Wide Receivers
• Defensive Front 7
• Defensive Backs
• Open

Segment 2: Free Agents Draft (Jan 14)

The following players who are not under contract in another league may be drafted:

• 2025 NFL draft eligibles
• 2025 NFL training camp cuts
• 2026 NFL draft eligibles
• Showcase attendees

• Other approved free agents

• "Snake Style" by position; rotate the order for each position group

• No max or min must be drafted in any position group

Position Groups:

• Offensive Line
• Running Backs/ Tight Ends
• Wide Receivers
• Defensive Front 7
• Defensive Backs
• Open

Final Notes:

• UFL teams can protect up to 12 players from their previous season's roster on a reserve list.
• UFL teams may select a minimum of 60 players and a maximum of 62 players in the Draft, which includes three quarterbacks, a maximum of three college allocations, and a maximum of 12 Reserve List players.
• UFL teams may sign additional free agents following the Draft; the training camp roster limit is 64 players.

RESULTS OF QB DRAFT, COLLEGE ALLOCATION, UFL PLAYER DRAFT, & UFL FREE AGENT DRAFT

OTHER INFORMATION

You can check out the mega-thread on /r/UnitedFootballLeague here for more general information.

OUTRO

We hope to see all of you at Audi Field for the Defenders home games in the 2026 season.

SHIELDS UP!!! DEFEND DC!!!

The post gives you a summary of the Defenders ‘26 Season.

If you want to dive deeper, I encourage you to read past the initial summary. I take you on a journey as we look in depth at this past season from a fan point of view.

8 Teams/8 Days Hub

Author is /u/Pitiful_Ad8641

Team: DC DEFENDERS

Conference: UFL / No Conference

Record: 5-5

Playoffs: 1-1

Stadium: Audi Field

Capacity: 20,000

Head Coach: Shannon Harris (2nd Year as HC, 4th Year with team)

Offensive Coordinator: Fred Kaiss (4th Year)

Defensive Coordinator: Blake Williams (2nd Year as DC)

General Season Review

First and foremost, a big thanks to u/Callywood for getting this together for a THIRD year. I said this last year, but it's a massive undertaking behind the scenes. I refer to him as our “Supreme Leader” because he is. He provides us with every data point we need to write these, usually within ten minutes of us asking.

Second, I would be remiss if I didn't yet again shout out to my fellow writers. Without their donation of their time and energy none of this would be possible. 8 in 8 is ~ten pages of a Google Doc long, on the low end. That means every August for the last three years, we generate at least eighty pages worth of content. My fellow 8 in 8 writers are truly dedicated UFL fans.

I find myself slightly disappointed with how ‘26 ended. This was a legacy year. At the midpoint of the year, you could make a strong argument that DC had one of the top teams in the league. Had they continued on that trajectory, Ta’amu becomes the undisputed real “Spring King” and at 2-1 in Championships over 4 years, DC is the other clear best team of the Merger Era, joining Birmingham’s run.

Alas, Ta’amu got hurt and we lost 4 in a row, leaving records he was on pace to break unbroken and a ‘27 future murky. How no one caught us for the playoffs is remarkable. Shannon Harris is no longer “The Amateur”, getting his team to a W in the playoffs and a second championship game. If our QB doesn't get hurt AGAIN in that title game, DC walks away with its second ring. At 1-2 in title games, however, the gap between Birmingham and DC for “The Franchise of the Merger Era” is a canyon and is settled permanently.

Following the L in the last game of the year however, this team yet again enters a crossroads. Who returns? Does Ta’amu heal up in time to at least break the few remaining records he needs? Will we ever end The Green Curse or will it forever haunt my dreams?

‘25 Offseason

Key Players Who Returned

Derick Roberson, DE, Jan ‘26 Protected - Protecting the star pass rusher was no brainer, and I was extremely nervous that it actually would happen. Roberson topped his ‘25 sack total in ‘26 and could be counted on to make plays in big moments, including a basically game ending sack against a driving St. Louis in Week 4 which I had the pleasure of seeing live.

Cornell Powell, WR, Jan ‘26 Protected - As highlighted later, DC chose to protect Powell and Scott, leaving Rowland exposed and poached. Powell showed his ‘25 campaign was no fluke, exceeding it in catches, yards and YPG.

Jordan Ta’amu, QB, Jan ‘26 QB Draft - I was excited he returned, this was going to be the year he put a cap on his spring career, break records, and firmly stamp his legacy as the one and true “Spring King”. Alas, he got hurt but it was still a key return in ‘26 and I hope he heals up.

Key Players Who Went

Chris Rowland, WR, Drafted by Orlando in the Jan “26 UFL Draft - This one hurt badly. Rowland is an All-UFL star player in this league and I hated losing him. Gotta think if you could only protect two WRs, him and Powell were the picks instead of Scott coming off injury because Scott stood a better chance of getting back to DC. It was good for the league that he went to the new market. Sucked watching him torch us though.

Jaydon Mickens, WR, Drafted by Birmingham in the Jan ‘26 UFL Draft - Replacing Rowland would’ve been easier if Mickens had stayed. Mickens turned a decent year of output in ‘25 with DC into a star output in ‘26, where he caught 44 balls for 588 yards and 2 TDs as the Stallions top receiver.

Notable Signees

DC approached the offseason with a clear intent to keep as much of the existing core together rather than chase big pieces. It resulted in the number of new to the team contributors being almost non-existent based on my findings. There were two key contributors, however, that I wanted to highlight here:

Xazavian Valladay, RB, Jan ‘26 UFL Draft - Vallady provided a reliable 3rd RB and put up good yardage and TD totals on 4.4 YPA AND 29.3 YPG.

Erik Ezukanma, WR, Feb ‘26 FA Signing - Ezukanma was a later addition to this roster and provided a 3rd WR option. He’s now in camp with the disgusting Philadelphia Eagles but he put in a noteworthy ‘26 campaign with the Defenders.

Notable Trades

DC was active in the trade market but I selected two trades that had the most impact on the ‘26 season:

On February 10th, the Defenders traded DT Patrick Jenkins to the Columbus Aviators for TE Briely Moore- Moore solidified the TE spot, which was looking a tad bare post-draft. He turned in a respectable ‘26 season, scoring four times.

AND

On April 19th , the Defenders traded QB Mike DiLiello to the Kings for QB Jason Bean.- After a maddening slow time getting on the field for DC, Bean helped get DC back to the UFL Title game. I wouldn't argue against anyone if they said that DC was primed to win that game until he went down with injury either.

Drafts

2026 Roster Protections

• With three teams moving, the league shook up the rosters entirely.

• Every DC Fan: “WHY WAS CHRIS ROWLAND NOT PROTECTED?!?!? COLLUSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

• I looked at it holistically and it APPEARS there were some position limits and DC had already protected 2 WRs in Powell and Scott.

• After a basic evaluation, I’d say the Defenders did pretty well here, protecting a solid core of what would be the top stars of the team in ‘26.

2026 UFL Draft

• The QB Draft was Jordan Ta’amu, Mike DiLiello (later traded to Kings), and Spencer Sanders.

• Regional College Allocation was Gottlieb Ayedze (T, Maryland), Brandon Smith (LB, Penn State), and Johari Branch (G, Maryland).

• Last year, I wrote this under team needs: “O-line depth. I’d also keep the RB and DL depth up”. While tackle depth was a glaring issue, I’d say drafting Valladay addressed RB and the DL rotation was more stout this year.

• Every DC fan knows the name “Gabe Taylor”, the brother of Sean Taylor. He did a lot of local interviews on DC sports radio promoting the Defenders until he got hurt. I hope he sticks for years to come.

• Puzzling, we made no selections in the “Specialists” part of the draft.

• The actual UFL Draft was very much a C+ draft after my cursory analysis. For every Sam Kidd picked, you could make an argument that DC suffered a Josh Ball pick as well.

Week by Week Detailed 2026 Season Review

Regular Season

@St. Louis, 10-16

What a disappointment this opener was. The common message coming out of this game was that it just “wasn’t us”, wasn’t DC Defender football. Uh, well, bad in the RZ kinda was your brand of football at times last year?

@Columbus, 44-26

As disappointing as the last game was, this one was a pleasant watch. While the visual of Shannon Harris mic’d up declaring “This is DC football!” will probably be replayed for years to come, I’ll always fondly remember this one as the “The Repole Interview Game” where Mike was doing a sideline interview as Deon Jackson broke a 48 yard TD run

Houston, 45-7

I couldn’t watch this game but was following along diligently, hitting refresh frantically on the play by play. At least I was until I got bored and got lost in doing other stuff. This was our most dominant game of the season.

St. Louis, 28-22

This game is special to me because it was the first UFL game my dad had ever been to. Decades ago my father took me to my first Redskin game (we lost to the Eagles). I got him, my mom, and my son all club level seats (not to be showy, it's literally the one spot at Audi that is wheelchair accessible). I got to teach my father about the UFL. When we got the safety, I declared the game was over and for a large part of the game, it wasn’t as close as the final score indicates. At the end, DC’s defense tried hard to throw the game until Roberson’s sack secured the W.

@Birmingham, 45-28

Horse people, I would like to apologize if I offended anyone in the post game thread, you are forever the greatest franchise in the Merger Era and forever shall you be known as “The Greatest Team No One Saw”. Another easy W and I was starting to think “hold up guys, are we….are we really good?”.

Dallas, 24-6

With the record Dallas had thrown together, I was expecting this to be like last year: a fun heavyweight slug match that came down to the wire. Dallas, however, was cooling off and we were white hot so it turns out that this was our last easy W of the season.

Louisville, 13-30

Until this game, I was unsure if I believed in “The Curse of the Green Team”. Nope, it's very real and we shall be taking no further comments on this at this time. A supernatural curse is the only explanation I have for this game and it marks the start of the low point of the Defenders’ ‘26 season.

@Louisville, 30-33

This was the game where it all came crashing down. DC started just as sloppy as the last game. Even worse, Ta’amu got hurt on a scramble and gg everyone on the ‘26 season. Spencer Sanders was looking like a deer in headlights out there and it took another week until Jason Bean, the QB THEY TRADED FOR, would be deemed ready. Side note: NBA is my mortal enemy now? Apparently, I declared this here last year. Which is awkward because my Wizards are poised to be fun to follow for the first time in three years, so I’ll probably check it out, sorry 2025 me.

@Orlando, 19-27

This was the first game after we found out that Ta’amu was done for the year. My reaction to this week was “HOW?!? This is ridiculous!” Ridiculous that a team that was stomping people with Jordan having a C+ game was suddenly looking like a below average squad with a full week to prepare for life without him. What was even more ridiculous is even after this loss, we were going to the postseason!

Orlando, 23-29

In 1943, the Washington Redskins lost to the New York Giants for the second week in a row. It’s our destiny, and I knew we had them right where we wanted them. Don’t check the tape.

Playoffs

@Orlando, 28-26

“When you reach the playoffs, everyone goes back to 0-0”. That’s the coaching cliche I myself have said. Sometimes you’re really grasping at straws to motivate your players. This game, though, the Defenders badly needed it. Shannon Harris is no longer “The Amateur” to me, as he now has upset a higher seed in the playoffs, on the road, in back to back seasons.

Louisville, 20-27

Welp, even though this game was in DC at the same time as I was in DC, I didn’t go as I was at my friend’s 40th birthday party. I still, months later, haven’t watched this in its entirety and never will. That’s not out of anger, Louisville’s story is incredible and this was a great way to end the year. While I’m very much at peace with how the season ended, part of me will always pine for the opportunity to add to their legacy that the Defenders lost forever by losing this game.

High Points

The easy wins weeks two through six were the highlight of the entire season for me. After suffering through the Commanders season where it felt like every week was a boring and sickening first quarter blowout, it was a relief to watch good football again.

I was so confident we were losing that playoff game against Orlando. I had spent weeks watching us struggle post Ta’amu injury and both predicted/expected a loss. For the second year in a row: Oopsie. NEVER A DOUBT!

Beating the Battlehawks with myself, my parents, and my son watching live was definitely a highlight of my ‘26 UFL season. My son enjoyed the small fan event outside the stadium that the Defenders were putting on. Additional highlights for me was watching my son show his “papa” everything cool about Audi, helping him explain the rule differences between the NFL and the UFL, and certainly Roberson’s sack at the end of the game.

Low Points

The top spot has to be the Ta’amu injury. We looked like the best team in the league through six games and him getting hurt ruined not just our season but also my hope that he would firmly establish himself as the best spring QB in the Merger Era.

Ta’amu’s injury led to a losing streak that should’ve ended our season. As a Defenders fan, I was screaming for Jason Bean. As a fan of the league, I was screaming about no one being able to catch us for the last playoff spot.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how disappointing that season opener result was. All offseason most Defender fans were wondering which was the outlier: most of the ‘25 season or the historic postseason run. After that performance, I was afraid we had our answer.

Statistics

Team Offense

• The passing game numbers fell off, but that can easily be attributed to Ta’amu injury.
• The run game took a jump. Again, this can be attributed to Ta’amu’s injury.
• DC allowed the most sacks in ‘26, one year removed from allowing the least in the league.
• Interceptions thrown shot way up and while it's easy to write this off as a symptom of Ta’amu getting hurt, this was happening before he went down.
• Turnovers as a whole became a big problem in ‘26 as the Defenders fell to the league worst.

PFF Oline Grades

• Steven Losoya III was our worst graded linemen.
• It's amazing that Durant still made All-UFL in a year that was down from last season.
• Sacks allowed shot up and reloading up on talent in this group remains a priority.

Team Defense

• Total Defense and Points Allowed improved while still generating sacks and turnovers.

Some Individual Statistics

Ta’amu

• Ta’amu’s numbers suffered because of the injury that cut his season short.
• His interceptions went back up to 2024 levels but his y/a and overall QB Rating also went up.
• I want him back in ‘27, if only in time to break the records he so soundly deserves.

[Editor's Note: Ta'amu is only 5 TDs and 666 passing yards away from breaking the all-time spring football career passing TDs and yards records!]

Rushing ’26 vs ‘25

• D. Jackson made All-UFL.
• Both Smith and Valladay added over 260 yards apiece and the Defenders had again a great rushing attack.

Receiving ‘’26 vs ‘25

‘26

‘25

• Ty Scott recorded a personal best in TDs and Yards Per Catch while Powell set marks in Receptions, Yards, and Yards Per Game.
• That doesn’t replace an All-UFL caliber player like Rowland but doesn’t show a problematic decline in production either.

Roster Review

‘26 All-UFL

• Deon Jackson (RB), Yasir Durant (LT), Derick Roberson (EDGE)
• Roberson and Durant are repeats from last year.

Strengths

The run game pleasantly rebounded from its ‘25 mark where it was ranked in the bottom half of the league to the league’s best running game in ‘26. The addition of Valladay as another RB to spell Abrams and Jackson was an underrated addition

Run defense also improved from the 5th ranked last year to 3rd this year. This was a big reason the defense as a whole jumped from the 6th ranked in ‘25 to the 3rd ranked in ‘26.

Having the league’s top ranked offense in a year your QB1 went down is a testament to how well the offense was humming before Ta’amu went down. It also speaks to how the pieces around the QB position were enough to keep up the scoring after he did.

Weaknesses

DC was the best in the league in ‘25 when it came to Sacks Allowed. In ‘26, they fell to the league worse. This needs to be fixed in ‘27.

A casual observer will look at Ta’amu’s injury and immediately conclude that it drastically hurt a lot of our season’s potential. They would be absolutely correct about that. We were blasting teams and looked like a true contender before Ta’amu got hurt and then limped to the title game. Inexplicably, it took weeks for Jason Bean, the guy we traded our backup QB for, to see the field, and our QB3 looked scared. QB depth turned out to be a crucial issue and Bean’s injury in the title game makes this a carry over issue into ‘27.

The offense gave up the ball way too much in ‘26 and the lack of ball control was hurting the Defenders even before Ta’amu’s injury.

Coaching Staff Review

Shannon Harris, HC

I derisively have been referring to Coach as “The Amateur”. While almost everyone else was caught up in the hype of last year's playoff run, calling for the league to “Take the Tag Off!”, I instead was very critical of the competitive gaffes that happened over the course of the ‘25 regular season and was skeptical that they would be fixed. I’m not saying they're all fixed. What I am saying is that he has earned my respect this season. Whatever his deficiencies are, he more than makes up for it in his culture building.

Blake Williams, DC

DC needed competent defensive play from the Defenders. In ‘26 it was “fine”, making the defense a MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT vs the one we suffered through in the fall. In general, the defense improved its numbers across the board in ‘26. Situationally, Blake didn’t have many moments where I was screaming and cursing at my TV screen. Admittedly, this could be because I was worn out having used up all my energy yelling at the Commander’s woeful defense all fall, but I think Blake has at least earned a “meh, he’s ok” from me.

Fred Kaiss, OC

Over the years, I have had a love-hate relationship with Fred Kaiss’ offense. For every game like last year’s UFL title game, there’s a game with shaky red zone play calling or where we just forget who we are. One must ask, is he done? If he returns in ‘27, he needs to make sure the backup QB is very comfortable running the offense.

2026 Offseason

Team Needs

This begins with the QB position. Are Ta’amu and Bean rejoining us for ‘27? If so, how healthy are they? Regardless of the answers, getting a 3rd QB (and maybe a 4th) must be the top priority.

Chief among the spots I’d like to see an upgrade is along the Offensive Line. This unit allowed far to many sacks in ‘26. An influx of real talent into this unit seems like a no brainer in ‘27.

Finally, I’d like to see us inject some fresh blood all around. I’m stoked this core got a title and should have won a second one, but this era of Defenders football needs to start flipping the page.

Outlook

Last year was about keeping as much of the band together as possible. Can’t argue this didn’t pay dividends, as that core returned them to the title game. Who is returning in ‘27? Regardless, this team needs new faces added to it.

Is Ta’amu going to return in ‘27? I personally want him to return for one last ride badly, as mentioned before, as I would like to see him break records. But the reality is he's a six year spring QB veteran coming off injury. Does him returning for a seventh year clash with the league’s vision of creating opportunities? Is bringing back a veteran coming off injury too much a risk financially for a league trying to avoid high costs a wise choice?

Does this all result in a step back for a team that's made ¾ title games? I wouldn't be at all surprised although NEVER A DOUBT dictates that I stop just short of a ten toes down prediction.

The DC Market

After carrying as the number two attendance market for years, DC saw a steep attendance drop. I’m not worried about it at this present time. I’m willing to bet a lot of the casual fans were burnt out at the start of the year. The Commander’s season was a drag, watch Netflix’s Quarterback to get an actual education on how it went. I wouldn’t blame anyone if they were a tad checked out on football in general.

I would be more worried if the attendance for the UFL Championship had also been bad but we put over 19k fans in the seats and packed Audi. Do you really think that was 60% Louisville fans that traveled or even Orlando fans confident they would win that playoff game? Nah, that was the DC market letting ya’ll know we are still around. There will hopefully be an uptick in attendance. That’s not a prediction, that’s a spoiler.

Why am I so confident? It’s because the Defenders remain part of our sports culture. A lot of the Commander’s beat just moves over to the Defenders when they start playing. Do we have room to grow? Certainly, but the foundation remains strong in DC.

Final Remarks

Thank you yet again for reading this! Thanks again to Callywood for organizing everything, it's a huge lift and as always, thank you for allowing me to be a part of it and for stat diving/editing.

Once again, I can almost guarantee mistakes leaked through despite my best efforts. I will do edits to correct as I see them.

Doing this is a very valuable exercise and it tends to highlight things I want to dive deeper on and share my findings before the next season starts.

Sources

u/Callywood’s PFF Subscription

Defenders in Review

Football Database

UFL.com

UFL Draft Wikipedia Article