Report: UFL players were threatened with release if they boycott the league's media days

NBC Sports

06-03-2025

The UFL's players continue to be unhappy with their financial situation. And the UFL reportedly isn't happy with the players' potential strategies for pushing back.
Last night, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reported that players were threatened with release, if they boycott the UFL's media days on Thursday and Friday. The report is based on accounts from three unnamed players.
'They told us that the league had gotten wind of union organization against the media days, and that if anyone acted on that, that they would be cut and considered to have acted with conduct detrimental [to the league],' one of the unnamed players told Seifert. 'We asked coaches after the meeting where this message came from and they said it came straight from [UFL executive V.P. of football operations] Daryl Johnston, who gave this message to all eight coaches. We later confirmed that all eight coaches gave this message to their teams.'
Another player corroborated the claim.
'It's coming from the top and those people are making 10-plus times our salary,' the second unnamed player said. 'So it's frustrating to get that kind of pushback when we're trying to fairly negotiate and they're saying, 'We can't budge, and if you try to take action, then we'll just cut you and move on.' I mean, from the beginning it's kind of been that we're just replaceable figures and we don't feel like we are, so that's why we're in this situation.'
In response to an email from PFT, the UFL declined comment on the matter. An unnamed 'UFL insider' told Seifert this: 'In the normal course of business, like any professional league, the UFL has disciplinary procedures in place for a player's failure to participate in league events. However, it is not a part of UFL policy to cut a player for not participating in events like media day.'
Federal law prohibits action against employees for union activity. And with the players getting nowhere at the bargaining table, it's possible that the labor fight will eventually end up in a courtroom, somewhere.
And while a work stoppage remains unlikely, Alex Schiffer of FrontOfficeSports.com reported on Thursday that the players are keeping 'all options' on the table as the opening weekend of the 2025 season approaches.
Given the absence of a CBA, the players can strike at any time. If the goal is maximum disruption, the best time to strike would be right before the start of the season.
Still, there's no indication of a sufficiently widespread appetite among UFL players to give up the ability to play football, in large part because playing football well in the spring opens the door to play football in NFL training camps.