MVP Quarterback Adrian Martinez Becomes 25th UFL Player to Sign NFL Contract
In the past week alone, 12 UFL players have signed contracts with NFL teams. The latest signee is the UFL's Most Valuable Player in 2024, Birmingham Stallions quarterback Adrian Martinez. The breakout star is getting another shot in the National Football League, signing on with the New York Jets a year after spending time in training camp and the preseason with the Detroit Lions.
Martinez, who went undrafted in 2023, was selected by the New Jersey Generals in the USFL's rookie draft before he made his way to Motown.
After being released by Detroit, the Birmingham Stallions officially signed Martinez four months later on Christmas Eve, an astute move by general manager Zachary Potter before the official merger of the USFL and XFL.
The journey into spring pro football proved to be fruitful. Under the tutelage of Stallions head coach Skip Holtz, Martinez progressed favorably after initially starting in a rotation with Ole Miss quarterback and 2022 third-round NFL Draft selection Matt Corral.
Martinez accumulated 2,278 yards in 10 regular-season games for Birmingham — 1,750 passing and 528 on the ground — scoring 18 touchdowns, 15 through the air, to only three interceptions. His stellar showing netted him UFL MVP honors. Eventually, it also led Martinez to claim the MVP trophy in Birmingham's UFL Championship victory over San Antonio.
The former Nebraska and Kansas State signal-caller is the 25th UFL player to sign an NFL contract since the spring league's season concluded in June.
Quarterback Adrian Martinez signs on with the New York Jets after earning MVP honors with the #UFL champion Birmingham Stallions.
— Mike Mitchell (@ByMikeMitchell) July 27, 2024
Martinez is the 25th official player to sign an NFL contract since @theUFL season ended in June. https://t.co/gZuqerer93 pic.twitter.com/l6O7K4oRkd
Birmingham has become a breeding ground for aspiring NFL players. This is the second season in a row that Birmingham has seen its star quarterback ink an NFL deal. A year ago, it was Alex McGough signing on with Green Bay.
Martinez's chances of sticking in the NFL could be better this time. He joins a unique New York Jets quarterback room captained by multiple-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and savvy veteran Tyrod Taylor. It's a learning tree that could benefit Martinez if he impresses Jets brass enough to earn a spot on the roster when the regular season arrives.
Martinez is replacing Northwestern rookie Ben Bryant on the Jets 90-player roster. He could get an opportunity to see advanced reps during camp and preseason games, with FSU's Jordan Travis rehabbing from a gruesome leg injury that could sideline him well into, if not for all of the 2024 season.
Therefore, Martinez is competing directly with undrafted rookie Andrew Peasley in camp for what amounts to third-string duties behind Rodgers and Taylor. Martinez's dual-threat skill set gives him a decisive edge in potentially securing a role on the Jets as a scout team player that simulates the opposing team's mobile quarterbacks in practice.
First and foremost, he will have to shine when called upon and advance from the role of a proverbial camp arm to a valuable asset, much in the same way he did with Birmingham, surpassing long-time starter J'Mar Smith and the highly touted Corral.
The existence of the UFL has afforded Martinez a well-earned opportunity in the NFL to make a second impression.
in the league of opportunity, adrian earned his. pic.twitter.com/OicSRqW9Pm
— B2B2B CHAMPION STALLIONS 🏆🏆🏆 (@USFLStallions) July 27, 2024
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MIKE MITCHELL