Jumping from the NFL to the UFL was supposed to be an easy reset for one former Steeler. Instead, the turbulence hit harder than anyone expected
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Running back Benny Snell, who represented the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2019 to 2022 for four seasons in his initial days in the big league, moved to the United Football League earlier this year, signing for the Louisville Kings. He made his UFL debut against the former champion Birmingham Stallions, ending up on the losing side.
His debut was a quiet one, as Snell was held to a mere 12 rushing yards and no receptions, a non-factor in the team’s narrow 15-13 loss.
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He was expected to improve his numbers in his next game against the Orlando Storm, but his struggles continued, completing only 4 rushing yards in 6 attempts. His 2 receptions did not matter as his team still lost 19-9. So far, the former NFL star has 16 rushing yards on 11 carries, with an average of mere 1.45 yards in every attempt.
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The UFL is comparatively a new league, formed after the merger of the XFL and USFL, with its inaugural season held in 2024. Fox Sports is the majority stakeholder, owning a whopping 50% of the league. Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson, his ex-wife, and RedBird Capital Partners own the other half.
Benny Snell was a backup running back option for the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers selected Snell as the 4th pick of the 2019 NFL draft, following his impressive college career with Kentucky. However, he failed to replicate that success in the big league with the Black and Gold.
Despite appearing in 63 games over four seasons with the Steelers, Snell was a perennial backup who started only five times—never cracking the starting lineup in his final two years—and finished his tenure with 982 rushing yards before the team moved on.
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The RB then landed a new deal with the Detroit Lions but did not make the final cut. He failed to attract interest from any other NFL team and thus went to the UFL.
While Benny signed with the Louisville Kings earlier this year, his current earnings are not publicly available. The UFL’s minimum starting salary is $64,000 for 10 games, which is substantially lower than his NFL salary. His rookie Steelers contract was worth $3.2 million for 4 years, while the Lions’ deal paid him over $1 million.
At only 28, Snell should be in his prime, but his early UFL struggles raise the question of whether this is a temporary slump or a sign that his time in the professional spotlight is fading.
Written by
Edited by
Abhimanyu Gupta