4 Takeaways From Week 7 of the 2026 UFL Season

The Spring King is back. Traded to the St. Louis Battlehawks last month from the Dallas Renegades after serving as that team’s backup, quarterback Luis Perez got his first start this season — and the San Diego native made it count. Perez threw for 204 yards and a touchdown in his new team’s 31-20 victory over the visiting Columbus Aviators to kick off Week 7 of the UFL season. Big-play receiver Hakeem Butler finished with three receptions for 77 yards for St. Louis and Kylin James finished with 41 rushing yards and two scores. The Battlehawks have won three straight and four of their last five games. “I’m very pleased with Luis, he did a good job,” St. Louis head coach Ricky Proehl said about Perez, who replaced Harrison Frost as the starter. “Getting in this week, he had a good week of practice. I can really see him just continuing to get better, with that relationship with our wideouts and just getting on the same page. It was good to see.” With the victory, St. Louis (5-2) jumped into a tie for the top spot in the league with the Orlando Storm (5-2) and the D.C. Defenders (5-2) with three weeks left to play. The Storm escaped with a 24-23 victory on the road over the Houston Gamblers (2-5), while the defending champion Defenders lost for the first time since Week 1, a 30-13 setback to the visiting Louisville Kings (3-4). In the final game of the week, the Birmingham Stallions (3-4) moved into a tie with the Renegades (3-4) and Kings for the final playoff spot with a 21-17 overtime victory over Dallas. Here are my takeaways from Week 7 of the UFL: In one of the biggest, bone-jarring hits you’ll witness on a football field, Defenders edge rusher Derick Roberson peeled back and pancaked scrambling QB Chandler Rogers, dislodging the football for a D.C. recovery in what appeared to be a game-changing play for his team late in the first half. But instead, Roberson was called for unnecessary roughness for leading with his helmet on the play, leading to a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty and a first down for the Kings. Rogers had to leave the game for a play due to the hit, but three plays later found Tarik Black for a 9-yard touchdown. The big hit sparked a 27-0 run by the Kings as they snapped a three-game losing streak. Rogers finished with 201 passing yards and two touchdown passes, while Black hauled in five catches for 49 receiving yards and two scores. The Kings scored 17 points off three D.C. turnovers. The Defenders are tied for the league lead with 11 giveaways. “I ain’t gonna lie, the hit turned me up,” Rogers said. “It was like my Joe Burrow moment, for real. When everybody was ‘oohing,’ that really pissed me off. I’m playing mad right now.” Jordan Ta’amu threw for 353 yards and two touchdowns for the Defenders but also had two interceptions. The Kings also sacked Ta’amu four times. Dorian Thompson-Robinson kept the good vibes going in his second start for Birmingham. The UCLA product completed just 46% of his passes for 159 yards and two scores. He also had a bad interception early that led to the first touchdown for the Renegades. However, Thompson-Robinson executed when it mattered most, completing an 18-yard pass to Jaydon Mickens for a touchdown with just over two minutes left to force overtime. The Renegades had a chance to win the game in regulation, but Birmingham defensive lineman Jayden Peevy blocked Colton Theaker’s 53-yard attempt as time expired. Thompson-Robinson then rushed for a two-point conversion and found Mickens for the other conversion to help the Stallions earn their second victory in a row. The Renegades have lost four in a row after starting the season 3-0. “You’ve got to have some of these wins in your season where you battle through and just find a way to win,” Birmingham head coach A.J. McCarron said. “And I thought it was a great job by the boys tonight.” Orlando head coach Anthony Becht sought to erase the bitter disappointment of two losses in a row and falling out of the top spot in the standings. While it wasn’t pretty, Becht will take the one-point victory on the road against the Gamblers. Houston had a 65-yard field goal with just over a minute left that could have won the game, but kicker John Hoyland’s attempt fell well short of the goal post. One of the best offenses in the league, the Storm punted seven times and were outgained by Houston 415-185 in total offense. One of the top passers in the league, Jack Plummer, totaled just 152 passing yards, but he did throw for two scores and didn’t turn the ball over. However, the defense bailed out Orlando by forcing two Houston turnovers, including an interception returned for a score by defensive back D.J. James — just signed by the Storm last week. “I know we’ve got good players,” Becht said. “I know we’ve got good plays. … We’ve got to find a way to get better. There’s no excuse for us.” Birmingham has seen enough of John Ross, a University of Washington product selected by Cincinnati ninth overall in the first round of the 2017 draft. The former record holder of the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine was released by the Stallions last week. A teammate of McCarron’s with the Bengals, Ross hadn’t made much of an impact, totaling seven catches for 58 yards in six games. The Stallions signed receiver Elijah Cooks to replace Ross on the roster. Headed down the backstretch, Week 8 begins with the Renegades looking to halt a four-game skid by hosting Orlando. That game is followed by two games on Friday, with the Kings facing the Defenders and the Battlehawks hosting Houston. The Stallions wrap things up on Sunday when they face Columbus in Birmingham.