Dorian Thompson-Robinson put up some of the best numbers of his career in his first UFL start, but it was not enough to snap the Birmingham Stallions’ losing streak.
Thompson-Robinson, a former Cleveland Browns draft pick, completed 28 of 43 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns in a 45-28 loss to the DC Defenders on Friday night. He also rushed for 43 yards and a score, accounting for three total touchdowns.
The loss extended Birmingham’s losing streak to four games, dropping the Stallions to 1-4. Thompson-Robinson had been with the Stallions for less than a week, acquired in a trade from the Orlando Storm on April 19. Birmingham sent quarterback Matt Corral and defensive end Amani Bledsoe to Orlando in exchange for Thompson-Robinson.
With five days of practice under his belt, Thompson-Robinson got the start and moved the ball effectively. But turnovers unraveled Birmingham. Thompson-Robinson was picked off twice, although both on tipped passes.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson Struggled With Browns
The Browns selected Thompson-Robinson in the fifth round (No. 140 overall) of the 2023 draft out of UCLA, where he left as the program’s all-time leader in total offense.
He made an immediate impression as a rookie, winning the backup job behind Deshaun Watson after a strong preseason. When Watson went down with a shoulder injury, Thompson-Robinson was thrust into action. The results were not pretty. He completed 121 of 230 passes for 880 yards with one touchdown and 10 interceptions during his time in Cleveland.
Cleveland dealt Thompson-Robinson to the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of last season as part of a trade for Kenny Pickett. But his stint there was short-lived. He was waived before the regular season and, despite multiple workouts, never landed on a roster elsewhere.
The Orlando Storm took a chance on him in the league’s quarterback draft in January. Early momentum pointed to Thompson-Robinson as the favorite to start for the expansion team, but Jack Plummer ultimately won the job during training camp.
That decision has paid off for Orlando, which is 4-1 this season. Plummer has emerged as one of the UFL’s top quarterbacks, throwing for 996 yards, eight touchdowns, and just one interception.
Browns Add Explosive Rookie QB
Meanwhile, in Cleveland, the Browns don’t appear any closer to solving their quarterback situation than they were when Thompson-Robinson was still in the mix.
No starter has been named, with Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel all in the running. The team also added another layer to the competition in the draft, selecting Taylen Green in the sixth round.
At 6-foot-6, 227 pounds, Green brings rare physical tools. He turned heads at the NFL Combine with a 43.5-inch vertical and an 11-foot-2 broad jump, while also running a 4.36 40-yard dash, the third-fastest ever at the position.
Across 53 games at Boise State and Arkansas, Green totaled 9,662 passing yards with 59 touchdowns and 35 interceptions, while adding 2,405 rushing yards and 35 more scores on the ground.
Still, he’s viewed as a developmental option rather than a true contender for the starting job. Early on, his path to the field likely comes in situational packages designed to leverage his athleticism rather than a full-time role under center.
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