Jayden Peevy ISn’t WastING His Second Chance
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - May 14, 2026
By Steve Irvine
Time to spare wasn’t part of the deal when Jayden Peevy agreed to become a member of the Birmingham. Time to ponder what the opportunity meant to him, though, was certainly part of the deal.
You see, the 6-foot-5, 307-pound defensive lineman was living in Nashville when he found out about two weeks ago that he was joining the Stallions. Bright and early the next morning – 2 a.m. to be exact – Peevy and his girlfriend were in the car heading to Arlington, Texas to join the team. He had plenty of time over the 12 hours on the road to think about what his latest football stop meant to him.
“It was just a thank you to God for giving me the opportunity to show to case my talent,” said Peevy of his thoughts during the trip. “I was with Orlando in the beginning of this (UFL) stint and it didn't work out. So I prayed to God to just give me the strength to go out and play the best of my ability.”
He went straight to the UFL building once he arrived and, following a physical, was on the practice field with his new teammates. Five days later, he contributed two tackles and a key fumble recovery while playing 31 snaps in the Stallions 20-17 win over the Orlando Storm. It was a big win for the Stallions, who ended a four-game losing streak, including a 16-0 setback to Orlando in Birmingham, and got themselves back in the playoff picture. For Peevy it also carried a bit of revenge.
Peevy was drafted by the Storm and went to training camp trying to earn a spot on the roster. He was cut from the team before the first game.
“I thought I should have made that team,” said Peevy, a Houston area native, who played at Texas A&M. “It was their defensive line’s coach decision to release me. I had a bitter taste in my mouth going into that game because I knew I was better than a lot of guys. I just wanted to showcase my talents in that way.”
He was even better in his second week with the Stallions. Peevy had five tackles, which was the most by any Birmingham interior defensive line, in the 21-17 overtime win over the Dallas Renegades. He was also credited with the game-saving blocked field goal on the final play of regulation. Peevy said on Wednesday that it was actually fellow defensive lineman TJ Carter who got his hand on the football.
“First of all, it goes back to the first field goal, which was just out of reach,” Peevy said. “Pushing the guard over the snapper (was the plan). We just wanted to go out there with (that in mind). Everything was intentional. My guy TJ, he put his hand up and made the block. It was the whole defensive line right there doing their job and TJ made the block.”
It almost didn’t come down to that. Just before the field goal attempt, Peevy helped knock the ball loose from Orlando’s Ellis Merriweather and the ball was recovered by the Stallions. But Merriweather was ruled down on the play and the drive remained alive. Two plays later, the Stallions came up with the blocked kick.
Afterward, Stallions head coach AJ McCarron was asked about the impact Peevy made in his first two weeks with the team.
“JP has been awesome,” said McCarron, whose team continues their playoff push on Sunday at noon against the Columbus Aviators at Protective Stadium. “You know, he was by Orlando and there were bad reports out there of him not being a team guy. I’ll tell you this, JP deserves to be on a NFL teammate after this season. He’s been nothing but the best teammate and the best dude to deal with. He has jelled right with our team. He causes zero issues, he’s never late, he does everything the correct way. I’m proud of him. He doesn’t say much, he just goes in and works.”
Teammate Tre Norwood gives a similar report while watching Peevy work from his safety spot.
“He’s been super impactful,” Norwood said. “We see it on film. To the fans, some of the plays (he’s made) they may not recognize. But, I promise, us being on the same defense and us being on the field with him. We see a huge impact that he’s made in a short amount of time.”
For Peevy it could very well be his path back to the NFL. He wasn’t drafted after a solid college career at Texas A&M, where he was chosen as the team’s most dependable player as a senior, but found a spot with the Tennessee Titans. He began the 2022 season on the Titans practice squad and made his regular season debut in Week 17 against the Dallas Cowboys. Peevy made the active roster the following season but was put back on the practice squad after the first week.
Those first two years were a learning experience for Peevy.
“Early on man, I just had to learn it was a business,” said Peevy, a former basketball standout in his younger days, who didn’t begin playing football until his junior year Bellaire High School in Texas. “It’s not about just being the best player on the field. You got to come in with a smile on your face (and) fake it ‘til you make it. Early on, I was kind of down on myself because I wasn’t playing as much. I came into the building not smiling. I had Mike Vrabel as my coach. I quickly had to learn the business side of this especially coming if you’re not the drafted. The little things, that’s the main things.”
He spent time with four other NFL organizations, including two stops with the Carolina Panthers. He played in four games with the Panthers in 2024, contributing six tackles, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and three quarterback hurries.
Now he’s trying to work his way back into the NFL. When that happens, he’ll be a different player than when he first stepped into the NFL.
“I completely changed my body type,” Peevy said. “I was a nose guard coming out (of college). Now, I can play one through five, I can play anything on the D-line. That’s because I’ve been on different practice squads and played in NFL games. It’s kind of like I understand that versatility is important to get back in the league.”
He has a special trainer to make sure his body is leaner than when he began his professional football career. N’Dea Jones, his girlfriend, was an All-American basketball player at Texas A&M and a second round WNBA draft choice by the Seattle Storm in 2021. She played professionally in Russia, Puerto Rico and Turkey. She is now helping Peevy maintain proper conditioning.
“You can tell I'm leaner just because my girlfriend had me in running clubs, cycling, pickleball, just trying to keep my body moving at all times,” Peevy said. “Football you need to have lateral movement. These are different things outside of football to help my body get in the best shape and ability to go out there and play each other. She’s basically my trainer, man.”