Austin Reed’s debut performance in the UFL just gave Bears head coach Ben Johnson something to seriously consider going into the summer
The former Chicago Bears preseason standout had a debut to remember in his first UFL start.
Former Chicago Bears quarterback Austin Reed had a debut to remember in his first UFL start for the Dallas Renegades on Saturday against Houston Gamblers.
Reed finished the game with 376 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and a 120.4 passer rating while setting the UFL regular season record for passing yards. The decision to name Reed as the starter over UFL legend Luis Perez was a controversial one, but one that immediately paid off.
It was Reed’s first starting opportunity since his final game at Western Kentucky in 2023 and his first chance to show off the development he made during his two seasons in the NFL. It’s exactly what this kind of league should be about, giving players the opportunity to show what they can do with extensive reps on the field and Reed made the most of that opportunity in Week 1.
While with the Chicago Bears after signing in 2024 as an undrafted free agent, Reed got limited preseason action but it was never enough to really show what he can do. A performance like this can put Reed back on the map and it put the rest of the UFL on notice.
“I feel like we could have played a lot better,” Reed said after the team’s 36-17 win in the season opener. “That’s a great thing to see when your Week 1 outcome looks like this but you feel like there’s still so much you can improve. Obviously, that’s going to be the goal these next 10 days getting ready for St. Louis is find out those spots we could have improved a little bit more.”
It was just one game of 10 for the UFL season for Reed and the Renegades. There’s a lot of football left to be played, but Reed is already setting himself up well what comes after the UFL season and more eyes will be tuning in to him over the weeks to come.
It won’t take long for Austin Reed to land back on an NFL roster after his UFL debut
After the UFL season ends, players can begin signing on NFL rosters between June and August before training camps begin. Reed’s strong showing surely peaked the interest of NFL clubs and the Bears should be one of the teams prepared to call Reed once the UFL season wraps up.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson said that he saw a lot of himself in Reed while working with the 26-year-old during the 2025 offseason. Even though Reed didn’t make the team and wasn’t added back to the practice squad, the Bears’ staff still know what kind of work ethic this guy has.
Now, he’s finally getting the live reps he needs to further his development. Come training camp, Johnson should strongly consider adding Reed back to the 90-man roster alongside Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent, and Case Keenum in the quarterback room. Reed had a close bond with those quarterbacks, especially with Williams and Bagent after spending months with those two.
Having a developmental quarterback in the building is always worth it, even if he gets limited action. And who’s to say a desperate team doesn’t come calling in August with a top offer to pry Bagent out of Chicago. If that happens to be the case, the Bears would love to have a quarterback like Reed on the team just in case to be a QB3 behind Williams and Keenum.
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