Just hours before the Arizona Cardinals ' red and white practice, the team has reportedly signed two UFL players.
Per Zach Gershman of AZCardinals.com, the Cardinals have signed ILB Eugene Asante and TE Shawn Bowman. Both players recently featured in the UFL and fill the two roster spots left by the departures of safety Joey Blount and tight end Kenny Yeboah yesterday - both landed on injured reserve.
Asante and Bowman were two of six tryouts the Cardinals had yesterday following their return from the Hall of Fame Game . Baylor Cupp , Curtis Jacobs , Triston Newson and Bryce Pierre were the other names.
Asante signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2025 after playing his college ball at North Carolina and Auburn. He then spent time on the practice squads of the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons this past season.
In January, he was selected by the Houston Gamblers in the UFL Draft. Asante tallied 34 tackles, four tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles this past season in the UFL.
Bowman played for the UFL's Orlando Storm this past season, recording seven receptions for 53 yards in ten games. He went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft before signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars .
Though Asante and Bowman play different positions, the goal to now make the Cardinals' roster remains the same: Excel in special teams, especially after Arizona lost their ace in Blount.
Perhaps there's an opportunity for both to earn a spot since special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial is entering his first season with Arizona:
"One of the biggest challenges is your role in some of these preseason games is to play special teams and offense and defense. In that reveals some fatigue. I told all the guys that it is undeniable in a football game there's going to be a point where you will be tired," Ghobrial told reporters earlier this week.
"And to me that's a true test of how bad do you really want it. So when you talk about a backup, the backup could really earn a starting spot real quick. It takes mental toughness, it takes good conditioning, and it takes connection to your technique. So it's going to be a great opportunity for guys to get a lot of tape out there, and I'm excited to see these guys perform."
The Cardinals play their second preseason game on Thursday against the Las Vegas Raiders .
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/cardinals/onsi as Cardinals Respond to Injuries by Signing 2 UFL Stars .
