With some breaking news, former Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez is going to be working out for the New York Jets after tearing it up in the UFL this past season. As you all know, Martinez started his career at Nebraska, played some tough-nosed football and was very well respected by his Cornhusker teammates. Martinez did transfer to Kansas State in 2022, going 6-3 as a starter and having a great last college season. Directly after college, the Detroit Lions signed Adrian as an undrafted free agent for the summer, but waived him after the preseason.
When the XFL and USFL combined into the UFL, many hoped and expected Adrian to get a chance in this new league, full of younger players or veterans trying to make their way into/back to the NFL while having a national platform showcasing skills in game situations. For the 2024 season, Martinez was signed by the Birmingham Stallions and was the probable starter on a team that most considered the best and most talented coming into the season. As someone who became a big UFL fan, Birmingham had high expectations and Martinez was expected to do well, but he blew the league away! Martinez dominated the league, going 8-1, with the only loss coming in the regular season to (my favorite UFL team) the San Antonio Brahmas but got revenge in the championship game. Not only did Martinez lead his team to the league championship, he shined statistically and brought home the UFL MVP award!
With all this success in the UFL, many fans wondered if any NFL teams would give Adrian a shot.. He has the build to be an NFL player, but the question has always been the passing accuracy. Martinez has always had a lot of great qualities, but we have all asked WHO would give him the shot. In my opinion, teams that run a style with an athletic quarterback could use Martinez for sure as a young backup- teams that have a veteran in the room would be a big plus for development as well. The Jets could be a good fit, as a Steelers fan, I could see him being an option behind Justin Fields/Russ Wilson and would be THRILLED to have a competitor in the room. The Eagles are also a sneaky team to watch out for to sign him as well to backup Jalen Hurts without missing too much of a beat in the offense. Adrian has shown the ability to be a playmaker at a high level, and more than deserves a spot to compete for one of these backup spots in the NFL.
I have heard some of the talk of.. “Why go to the NFL to be a backup, when you could be a star in the UFL?” and to that I would like to remind all of you… The league minimum in the NFL is about 15 times what the full-seasons earnings of the UFL pay scale. So clearly the NFL is the still the goal for every single one of these players, especially financially. Adrian Martinez DOES deserve a shot to make an NFL roster.. But where do you want to see him go?
