Former Chicago Bears quarterback Austin Reed turned heads in his UFL debut with the Dallas Renegades on Saturday night, where he made league history for passing yards in Dallas’ 36-17 win over the Houston Gamblers.

Reed, who threw for 15,588 yards and 149 touchdowns in 51 career starts with Western Kentucky, signed with Chicago as an undrafted free agent two years ago. Reed spent the 2024 season on the practice squad but wasn’t brought back the following year after the Bears signed Case Keenum to serve as QB3 behind Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent.

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Reed beat out veteran Luis Perez for the starting quarterback job with the Renegades, and he showed why he won’t be giving the job back after a sensational debut where he completed 27-of-40 passes (65%) for a UFL-record 376 yards with three touchdowns and a 120.4 passer rating.

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While it didn’t work out for Reed in Chicago, he’s found a great opportunity in the UFL, where he’ll have a chance to put on a show for the NFL and perhaps rejoin the league. Who knows, depending on what goes on with the Bears’ backup quarterback situation and Reed’s season, he might even hear from general manager Ryan Poles about another opportunity in Chicago.

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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Former Bears QB Austin Reed made UFL history with Renegades