Week 1 of the United Football League is now in the books. It was an opening weekend that saw mixed results for the UFL as they returned for their second season as a combined league. Half of the games were blowouts, and most of the attendance around the league was down. It wasn't the best start to the year, but some exciting performances stood out that could spark interest from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Each season of the UFL brings new stories to monitor as the campaign progresses. Star players from last season could either be gone or struggling at different points. New stars pop up each week, which could land them another NFL opportunity. The Steelers have remained interested in spring football leagues in recent years. They could consider signing some of the UFL's top players.
Steelers general manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin will keep their eyes peeled on UFL talent.
Pittsburgh Steelers could show interest in UFL stars after Week 1 performances
Manny Wilkins, QB, St. Louis Battlehawks
No one shocked the UFL world more than the St. Louis Battlehawks in Week 1. They took on the irrelevant Houston Roughnecks and destroyed them. The end score was 31-6, and Houston was lucky to walk away with those brittle points. St. Louis had a quarterback controversy going into this game, but it appears over after Manny Wilkins created plenty of plays at the position.
Not only was Wilkins timely with his throws, but he also created a lot of quality plays with his legs. The Roughnecks had no answers for Wilkins, and it allowed St. Louis to pull their starting quarterback after the lead became insurmountable. Wilkins is the early favorite as the UFL MVP after Week 1 of the season. At this rate, Pittsburgh will be one of his many suitors.
READ MORE: 3 former Steelers who could return in 2025 with a successful UFL season
Steele Chambers, LB, Memphis Showboats
One of the best options to rise back into the NFL ranks out of the spring is Steele Chambers. The former Ohio State linebacker was a shocking undrafted free agent in last year's draft, but he did jump around two practice squads during his rookie stint. The Steelers didn't express much pre-draft interest in Chambers, but they could use an extra linebacker on their roster come training camp.
Chambers now plays for the Memphis Showboats. He was explosive at the position in his game against the Michigan Panthers. He totaled ten tackles, and five were solo. Pittsburgh would be crazy not to consider signing Chambers if he keeps up this production.
He could push some bottom-of-the-roster guys for their spots this preseason.
Jacob Saylors, RB, St. Louis Battlehawks
You could easily list both of the Battlehawks' running backs on this list. Jarveon Howard went into Beast Mode and broke off a huge touchdown run after mashing through two tacklers. It is hard to upstage the Battlehawks' insane highlight, but Jacob Saylors did. He produced a monster performance that outshone both Howard and Wilkins. Saylors better be on the Steelers' radar after Week 1.
He exploded onto the scene this week with 145 total yards and a touchdown to cap it off. Saylors produced 98 rushing yards and became a factor in the passing game by adding 47 yards as a receiver. This Battlehawk shone a new light on the UFL during his Week 1 performance. Pittsburgh better get Saylors to their training camp if he keeps this up.