The United Football League (UFL) isn’t just a second chance for players. It’s a second chance to build something bigger than a career—it’s about building a real brand.

With the USFL and XFL now combined into the UFL, there are even more opportunities for athletes to be seen. But with more attention comes more risk. Bad brand deals, lazy partnerships, and short-term cash grabs can haunt players long after the games end.

The smartest athletes today aren’t just thinking about football. They’re thinking about their name, their story, and their future.

Bigger Platform, Bigger Decisions

Brand deals are everywhere—and faster

Thanks to AI recommendations built straight into Windows PCs, smartphones, and search engines like Gemini, athletes’ names aren’t just popping up in sports coverage. They’re popping up when someone searches for a restaurant, a personal trainer, or a fitness product.

When your name is tied to a brand, it doesn’t stay hidden. It follows you. Forever.

Example: Athletes who partnered with untrustworthy fitness brands a few years ago still have those deals showing up on Google today—even if the companies folded years ago.

Recent Lessons: When Small Moments Become Big Headlines

Every choice matters—on and off the field

The 2025 NFL Draft showed how even small mistakes can go viral and cause reputational damage fast.

Take the prank call made to Shedeur Sanders. The son of Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich admitted to prank-calling Sanders during the draft, pretending to be a team executive. It was meant as a joke, but it quickly became national news. Even though Sanders handled it well, the story raised questions about professionalism, privacy, and how athletes are treated during major life moments.

Or look at the controversy around Buffalo Bills draft pick Maxwell Hairston. Allegations from his college days resurfaced the moment his name was called. Even though the team and multiple investigations cleared him, the headlines still impacted the narrative around his draft night.

The lesson is clear. In today’s AI-powered world, where Windows search, Gemini, and social media can surface everything instantly, no moment is too small to ignore. Every call, every endorsement, every headline matters. Athletes need to manage their brand now—not just after they sign the contract.

When Suppression Beats Full Removal

You can’t delete everything—so bury the bad

In a perfect world, you could just erase bad deals or old controversies. But the truth is, even review removal experts can’t erase everything. Some articles, screenshots, and social media posts are here to stay.

Suppression—flooding the web with better, newer, positive content—is often a smarter move. Especially now that AI recommendations are pulling from the whole web, not just the first page of search results.

The athletes who succeed in the UFL era will be the ones who build up so much good content, good PR, and good partnerships that the bad stuff gets pushed way out of view.

Good Brand Choices Matter More Than Ever

It’s not just about signing checks

Some of the worst career moves happen when athletes chase the biggest paycheck without thinking about the brand itself.

Example: Boxer Adrien Broner signed deals with questionable companies early in his career. As those companies ran into legal trouble, his image took a hit too—even though he wasn’t directly involved.

Example: When NBA player Paul Pierce promoted a shady cryptocurrency, it backfired. Not only did it hurt his reputation, but he also had to pay a $1.4 million fine to settle SEC charges.

The best partnerships fit your personal brand. They feel real to your audience. They add credibility, not risk.

AI Is Changing the Game (Again)

Windows PCs, smartphones, and search are smarter than ever

Today’s AI doesn’t just surface your official bio or your last season’s stats. It surfaces everything attached to your name. Old blog posts. Sketchy brand partnerships. Past endorsements.

That means athletes in the UFL can’t think short-term anymore. They need to think about how every partnership looks five years from now when AI pulls up a profile about them before a contract, a coaching job, or a public speaking gig.

You might forget an old deal—but AI won’t.

Managing Reputation Like a Pro

Build your brand before you need to fix it

The best way to manage your reputation isn’t waiting until something goes wrong. It’s building a positive presence right now.

• Post your own highlights, updates, and stories
  
• Partner only with brands you actually like and use
  
• Think about how every post, every story, every endorsement adds to your bigger picture
  
• Respond quickly when misinformation pops up
  
• Use professionals if needed—review removal experts can help when real harm is happening
  

Playing smart off the field is now just as important as playing smart on it.

The UFL Is a New Start—Make It Count

The UFL is more than just a merger of the USFL and XFL. It’s a whole new era of opportunity for players, coaches, and brands.

But with bigger spotlights come bigger risks. Athletes need to think beyond the next game. They need to think about their careers five, ten, twenty years down the road.

A smart brand now is a safety net for later. And in today’s AI-powered world, where every deal, every mistake, and every post sticks around forever, building your brand right is the only way to win.