Good luck, Hunter Dirks. The former New Orleans Saints quarterback was selected by the UFL Houston Gamblers in the spring league quarterback draft along with former Houston and Texas Tech quarterback Donovan Smith. Dirks spent his rookie year in the NFL on the Saints’ practice squad after working out in May. The left-handed pass rusher was signed, waived and re-signed ten times before missing most of the season with a shoulder injury.
The Saints activated Dirks on New Year’s Eve and had the opportunity to re-sign him for training camp on a reserve/future contract, but he jumped at the chance. That doesn’t mean he can’t return to New Orleans one day. But for now, he’s focused on maximizing the number of matches he plays against other pros.
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This year’s UFL schedule will be announced on January 22, but is expected to run from the end of March to early June. The Saints won’t reconvene for training camp until late July, so it’s possible Dirks could return. The Saints, meanwhile, may not want to wait that long to sign a third or fourth quarterback. This is something worth paying attention to.
But where Dex ends up is a bit ironic. Just this year, the UFL renamed its Houston team from the Roughnecks to the Gamblers; they’ve been using the Roughnecks name since becoming part of the resurgent XFL. Dirks lost his job with the Iowa State Cyclones in a gambling scandal and had to end his college career at Iowa Western Community College. He took full responsibility for the mistake and worked hard to overcome it. Let’s see if he can make the most of this opportunity.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 2026 UFL Draft: Houston Gamblers select former Saints QB Hunter Dekkers
