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Ex-Broncos pass rusher dominated the UFL this spring
And the award for the best former Denver Broncos player in the UFL goes to ... Pita Taumoepenu!
Taumoepenu (6-2, 250 pounds) signed with the Broncos in 2021, and after failing to make the active roster out of training camp, he spent the season on the team's practice squad. He is a journeyman pass rusher who has spent time with six NFL teams and now plays for the UFL's St. Louis Battlehawks.
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Taumoepenu, 31, had a dominant spring season, leading the league with 7.5 sacks. He also totaled 27 tackles (five behind the line), three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one pass breakup in nine games. Following that impressive season, Taumoepenu was named to the 2025 All-UFL Team.
Another former Broncos pass rusher, Andre Mintze, ranked fourth in the UFL with 5.5 sacks in nine games. He signed with Denver as an undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt in 2021 and initially made the 53-man roster before landing on injured reserve. Mintze went to training camp with the Minnesota Vikings in 2022 and has been playing spring football since 2023 with the DC Defenders.
Elsewhere in the UFL, running back Nate McCrary, who had a brief stint with the Broncos in 2021, rushed for 380 yards (fifth-most in the league) and two touchdowns this spring. Former Broncos quarterbacks Kevin Hogan and Case Cookus both started three games. Cookus totaled 546 passing yards and threw five touchdown passes. Hogan had 500 yards and two scores. Jarrett Guarantano only made one appearance with 29 yards and no scores.
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Ex-Denver punters Colby Wadman (1,335 yards) and Marquette King (1,709 yards) played the full 10-game season. King averaged 47.5 yards per punt with a long of 69 yards and eight kicks downed inside the 20-yard line. Wadman averaged 46.0 yards per boot with a long of 68 yards and 11 kicks downed inside the 20.
The UFL will hold conference final games on Sunday featuring the Michigan Panthers against the Birmingham Stallions, and the DC Defenders taking on the St. Louis Battlehawks. The winners of those matchups will face off in the UFL's final on June 14. Following the championship game, NFL teams will be allowed to sign UFL players.
Related: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL: Ex-Broncos pass rusher dominated the UFL this spring
