Adrian Martinez may have had only a short NFL stint with the Detroit Lions, but has made the most of his time in the UFL with a regular season MVP and now a title-game MVP as well.
Martinez led the Birmingham Stallions to a 25-0 victory over the San Antonio Brahmas in the inaugural United Football League championship on June 16, accounting for all three of his team’s touchdowns. The former Nebraska quarterback had spent the 2023 offseason with the Lions but was waived at final roster cuts.
He signed with the Stallions in December and turned heads with a stellar performance this season, sparking some talk that he could return to the NFL.
As Al.com noted, Martinez helped to break an early defensive stalemate and opened the scoring with an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Gary Jennings. He then completed a 2-point conversion pass to increase the lead to 8-0.
Martinez found the endzone again on the first drive of the second half, scrambling for an 11-yard rushing score and hitting another 2-point conversion pass for a 16-0 lead. He scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak later in the third quarter, with the score holding up on a video review.
Though he didn’t do as much damage through the air — Martinez completed 13-of-23 passes for 98 yards — the all-around performance helped to earn the MVP Award for the championship game.
Martinez joined the Lions as an undrafted rookie last offseason. Jeff Risdon of USA Today’s Lions Wire noted that he came into the NFL with plenty of tools to succeed.
“Martinez offers a lot of running ability,” Risdon wrote. “He accelerates quickly and has natural wiggle, power, and vision as a runner. He isn’t a threat to throw once he starts running, however. The 4.55 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine is legit and translates to the field. The 23-year-old rushed for over 500 yards in all five of his college seasons.”
