DC Defenders Advance to UFL Championship After Playoff Win

The DC Defenders defeated the Orlando Storm 28-22 in a UFL playoff semifinal on Sunday to advance to the league championship game. The Storm entered the four-team bracket as the top seed while the Defenders finished the regular season at 5-5 and were the final team to qualify.

The team announced on June 1 that a former player had rejoined the roster alongside an offensive lineman. The player had retired before the 2026 training camp after appearing in the prior two seasons. During the game, a sideline reporter asked the player about taking time off from a day job.

The player responded "allegedly" to the question and repeated the answer when asked if the broadcast might confirm the arrangement.

After the game, the player posted on social media that a supervisor had agreed to attend the championship game scheduled for next Saturday. The player recorded one tackle in the contest. The Defenders will face the Louisville Kings in the title game.