Ex-Chiefs QB Jordan Ta'amu took a page out of Patrick Mahomes' book in UFL's title game and could return to the NFL because of it
A former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback became a UFL champion on Saturday, all while taking a page out of Patrick Mahomes' playbook in the process. Former Chiefs QB Jordan Ta'amu led the D.C. Defenders to a 58-34 victory over the Michigan Panthers in the 2025 UFL Championship Game on June 14. The 27-year-old Ta'amu is a […]
A former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback became a UFL champion on Saturday, all while taking a page out of Patrick Mahomes' playbook in the process.
Former Chiefs QB Jordan Ta'amu led the D.C. Defenders to a 58-34 victory over the Michigan Panthers in the 2025 UFL Championship Game on June 14. The 27-year-old Ta'amu is a former undrafted free agent from the Ole Miss Rebels, who spent a portion of the 2020 NFL season with the Chiefs' practice squad and the 2021 NFL offseason on the 90-man roster in Kansas City. He's one of several former Chiefs players on the Defenders roster this season, alongside WR Cornell Powell and CB DeAndre Baker.
Ta'amu has spent the past two spring football seasons with the Defenders, culminating in his latest successes in the 2025 UFL Championship Game. According to the UFL, the Defenders’ 58 points were the most ever scored in a single game in UFL history and the most scored in a single game in the modern era of spring football. Ta'amu's performance not only led to a victory but also to his first-ever UFL Championship MVP honors.
I think back to seasons past, when Mahomes was overlooked for MVPs and All-Pros, only for him to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl and lead his team to victory, breaking records in the process. Ta'amu seems to have put together his version of that, which could soon lead him back to the NFL.
Defenders QB Jordan Ta'amu gets petty in UFL Championship Game after UFL MVP, UFL Offensive Player of the Year, and All-UFL snubs
Ta'amu finished the 2025 UFL season as the league's leader in passing touchdowns, yet he was overlooked for UFL MVP, UFL Offensive Player of the Year, and All-UFL honors in favor of Michigan Panthers QB Bryce Perkins. That set up the perfect revenge showdown between Ta'amu and Perkins in the title game.
While Ta'amu stayed focused and faithful, his teammates were most offended by the disrespect shown to a player they believed to be the best quarterback in the league.
"We're going to put up 80 points for disrespecting our quarterback," Defenders (and former Chiefs) CB DeAndre Baker said ahead of the game. "We know who the real MVP is."
The belief from his teammates led to an inspired performance from Ta'amu, who went 21-of-28 passing for a UFL-record 390 yards, four passing touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown in the game.
“Having that brotherhood behind me meant a lot," Ta'amu told reporters after the game. "I told them pre-game that I was going to put my body on the line for them. And they did that. Bryce Perkins is a great quarterback and he deserved all the awards. It just gave us a big chip on our shoulders to go out there and play even harder."
As NFL teams look to get training camps underway and add to their rosters in July, expect quarterback-needy teams like the New Orleans Saints, Indianapolis Colts, and the Los Angeles Rams to potentially bring in a player like Ta'amu to increase competition leading into the 2025 NFL season.
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