An Up And Down 2026 For Playoff-Bound Battlehawks
- Nathan Tucker
- 4 minutes ago
- 2 min read
ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Battlehawks have had an up and down 2026 of United Football League action. It’s a very different Battlehawks team than years past, new head coach and St. Louis football legend Ricky Proehl has had his hands full in his first year on the job at the Dome where he shined as a player decades ago.
Over the ten-game season that saw the Battlehawks post a 6-4 record and qualify for the UFL Playoffs, Proehl has had to navigate offensive struggles. As is so often the case in the sport of football, the offense goes as the quarterback’s play goes, which has been inconsistent at the best of times this season in St. Louis.
Brandon Silvers started the season with the QB job, but the offense did not seem to get going with him under center. Harrison Frost assumed the job during a Week 3 34-30 shootout win at the Dome over the Birmingham Stallions and threw three touchdowns and two interceptions in just one half. Not necessarily the consistency Ricky Proehl was hoping for.
Frost retained the starting job, but was less than stellar in a loss at the defending UFL champion DC Defenders. Before Week 5, the Battlehawks made a big move, trading tackle Corey Stewart to the Dallas Renegades for quarterback Luis Perez, a longtime veteran of spring football who led the UFL in passing yards in 2025 and 2024. Perez didn’t start for the Battlehawks until week seven, and the offense under the spring league vet is still finding its groove.
Even with uncertainty at the QB spot, Battlehawks wideout Hakeem Butler has again proven he is one of the best talents in the United Football League. Butler led the league in receiving yards with 641, despite drawing defensive coverage befitting the league’s top wide receiver.
The Battlehawks did not have their most high-flying season, but paced the UFL in attendance once again, averaging over 20k fans per game. St. Louis’s dome-field advantage comes into play when it matters most, as they host the Louisville Kings in a playoff game on Sunday, June 7, with a spot in the United Bowl in Washington DC on the line. Kickoff is set for 5 pm at the Dome, and the game will broadcast nationally on Fox.
