Jan. 12, 2026, 5:33 p.m. CT
Good luck, Hunter Dekkers. The former New Orleans Saints quarterback was selected by the UFL’s Houston Gamblers in the spring league’s quarterback draft, along with former Houston and Texas Tech quarterback Donovan Smith. Dekkers spent his NFL rookie year on the Saints’ practice squad after trying out back in May; the left-handed passer was signed, waived, and re-signed ten times before a shoulder injury sidelined him for much of the season.
The Saints activated Dekkers on New Years Eve and had an opportunity to re-sign him for training camp on a reserve/future deal, but he’s taking this opportunity instead. That doesn’t mean he can’t return to New Orleans some day. But for now, he’s focused on maximizing his reps with other professional hopefuls.
This year’s UFL schedule will be announced on Jan. 22, but it’s expected to run from late March to early June. The Saints won’t regroup for training camp until late July, so there’s a chance Dekkers could be back. At the same time, the Saints may not want to wait that long to sign a third or fourth quarterback. It’s something to keep an eye on.
But it’s a little ironic Dekkers landed where he did. The UFL rebranded its Houston franchise from the Roughnecks to the Gamblers just this year; they had used the Roughnecks name since being part of the revived XFL. Dekkers lost his position with the Iowa State Cyclones during a gambling scandal and had to finish his college career at Iowa Western Community College. He’s taken full responsibility for that mistake and put in the work to move past it. Let’s see if he can make the most of this opportunity.
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