When DC Defenders wide receiver Jaydon Mickens takes the field for the 2025 UFL championship game, he will be the oldest player on the field.
‘That’s crazy,’ the 31-year-old told USA TODAY with a laugh after being informed of that fact. ‘I remember being the youngest.’
Indeed, Mickens broke into the NFL as a 22-year-old after going undrafted out of Washington in 2016. He latched on with the Oakland Raiders to begin an NFL odyssey that spanned six teams over eight seasons.
The NFL calls stopped coming for Mickens after his 2023 stints with the New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts. While some would have walked away from the game at that point, Mickens decided to go to the UFL.
‘I always knew I can keep playing,’ Mickens said when asked about joining the UFL. ‘I still have a lot of juice, and I still have a love for the game.”
‘For me, it’s just loving the game and appreciating the camaraderie and appreciating the structure and building chemistry with a lot of great players,’ he added.
Mickens’ comments highlight a common sentiment among UFL players. Most are hoping to eventually land NFL opportunities, whether it’s for the first time or the umpteenth.
But above all, they are grateful for everything the spring league provides.
Bryce Perkins
For Michigan Panthers quarterback Bryce Perkins, the UFL has provided a needed opportunity to get live game reps.
‘It gets you in the feel of playing again,’ Perkins said of the UFL. ‘It lets you sharpen things that you may not necessarily know you need to sharpen depending on the situation you’re in in the NFL.’
Perkins previously had a three-year stint with the Los Angeles Rams after going undrafted out of Virginia in 2020. He learned a great deal in Sean McVay’s system and credited his observations of Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford for teaching him how to prepare for games.
Even so, Perkins acknowledged it wasn’t easy to prove himself on the field after getting just one start during his three seasons as a third-string quarterback.
‘There’s a lot of things that throughout the two years before I played that you don’t even know that’s going to show up until it shows up,’ Perkins said. ‘Being able to play in this league (the UFL) allows you to play well and play ball.’
Jordan Ta’amu
Like Perkins, Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta’amu is playing for the love of the game. That said, he is also happy earning money to play.
‘I do not want to work in the real world,’ Ta’amu told USA TODAY. ‘And I just think what better way to work and to do what you love and play football for fun and also get paid for it?’
That’s one of the main reasons Ta’amu hopes to get another NFL chance. He relishes the financial security that comes with playing in the top professional league, where the minimum contract value for 2025 is $840,000 and practice squad players make $12,000 per week. By comparison, the UFL has a minimum salary of $62,005 for the 2025 season.
But even if Ta’amu can’t make it back to the NFL, the 27-year-old is happy to have spring football – which he has been a part of for five seasons in the XFL, USFL and now the UFL – as an option.
‘I want to keep playing football until someone tells me no,’ Ta’amu said. ‘If it’s in the spring league, if it’s in the NFL, I just want to keep playing because we don’t get a lot of opportunities like this.’
Toa Taua
Panthers running back Toa Taua knows how hard it is to make it professionally. He found himself cut by Michigan at both the start of the 2024 and 2025 UFL seasons. He only returned to the Panthers after some early-season running back injuries but has since blossomed into one of the league’s best backs.
Before returning to the UFL, Taua worked two jobs – one by day at a golf course and another at night at a 24-hour Planet Fitness. All the while, he attempted to stay ready to play and occasionally snuck in a mid-shift workout at the gym.
While Taua enjoyed both of his jobs, he acknowledged that they didn’t bring nearly the same level of camaraderie he experienced on the field. That has led him to cherish the bonds formed with his Panthers teammates on and off the field, including during barbecue sessions with his housemates, Kai Nacua, Samson Nacua, Mika Tafua and Javin White.
‘After you’re done playing sports, you don’t get those moments too much,’ Taua said. ‘So, just being around the guys and making memories with the boys is everything.’
Jaydon Mickens
Most players understand the mortality referenced by Taua. There will come a time when they are no longer able to suit up, whether it’s due to age, injury or it simply becomes financially unsustainable.
Even so, it isn’t stopping players like Mickens from continuing to play. The 31-year-old insists he isn’t too old to make it back to the NFL and finally get a chance to show his worth not just as a return man but also as a receiver.
‘I’m still getting better at my routes,” Mickens said. ‘I’m getting better at returning punts. I’m still growing as a player at 31 years old, and I’m getting faster, I’m getting stronger, I’m out-running people, I’m making catches.’
Will Mickens’ improvements be enough for him to get another chance in the NFL? He isn’t sure.
But even if not, he is content with where his football career has taken him.
‘There’s nothing I’m actually chasing,’ Mickens said. ‘There’s no dream that I haven’t already accomplished, and everything I’ve done has been tremendous in my book.’