Renegades QB Luis Perez eyeing potential NFL return, discusses first UFL win
Luis Perez and the Arlington Renegades got their first win of the 2024 UFL season in Week 7, handling the Memphis Showboats, 47-23. Perez threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns, while completing 84.4% of his passes in the victory.
Perez expressed to FOX Sports' RJ Young what the win meant for Arlington, saying "it was good to get the monkey off our back."
"It's kind of been a weird year, not being able to finish one way or another," Perez said on the latest edition of "The No. 1 College Football Show with RJ Young." "We've been in every game. It's kind of one of those things where we got the win, and we got to just keep building off of it."
Despite having six losses on the season, four of which have been one-score affairs, Perez has totaled a UFL-high 1,625 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns, two interceptions and a 98.9 passer rating, while completing 67.8% of his passes.
What's more, Perez doesn't plan on letting up anytime soon. He explained why he sees value in finishing the season strong — although the Renegades were eliminated from playoff contention last week.
"The locker room is pretty good right now," he said. "If you look at our locker room … you wouldn't think we're out of the playoffs. Everybody is really motivated. Everybody understands how important these games are, not only just for the Renegades but for each individual person in that locker room. We all have dreams and aspirations to go out there and go back to the NFL. They know that this is very meaningful.
"I know we're not going to make the playoffs anymore, but we can go 4-6, and we can shock the world and be the best 4-6 team that there [has] ever been. [If] we go out there, we win this week, we beat the [St. Louis] Battlehawks and we beat the [DC] Defenders — people are like, 'Oh man, we shouldn't have let these guys out.' Let's make them feel that way. That's kind of been the message. … Yes, we're not in the playoffs, but let's go out there and spoil some guys and go out there and execute."
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Arlington closes out the season on the road against the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday (4 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app), at home against the Battlehawks in Week 9 and on the road against the Defenders in Week 10.
Perez, 29, played collegiate ball at Southwestern College and Texas A&M-Commerce from 2013-17 before going undrafted in 2018. He spent roughly four months with the Los Angeles Rams in 2018, followed by curt stints with the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions.
Perez played for the New York Guardians of the XFL in 2020 before the league was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He later played for the New Jersey Generals in the USFL in 2022 and began the 2023 XFL season with the Vegas Vipors before being traded to the Renegades, who went on to win the 2023 XFL title.
Despite the constant movement throughout his football career, Perez feels he's equipped for the NFL.
"I really do believe that I can play at the next level," Perez said. "I've been there for a short amount of time; I think I can go back.
"I'm just out here playing my best, doing the best I can, leading men and hopefully get an opportunity to go to the NFL."
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