The Debate: Luis Perez vs Jordan Ta’amu

Images via X @XFLRenegades & @XFLDefenders

While Luis Perez has been dubbed the “Spring King” is it appropriate to dub name Jordan Ta’amu the “Sultan of the Summer”? As Perez goes into his 8th Professional season and 7th in Spring Football the bowler turned Quarterback surpassed 9,000 Career passing yards (9129 yards) in the regular season putting himself in striking distance of surpassing Jim Kelly who’s 9842 passing yards could be considered 4th all-time in US-Based non-NFL leagues. His rival Jordan Ta’amu currently sits at 8550 passing yards despite not playing in the AAF or TSL.

So that being said is it outlandish to believe that Ta’amu could also garner some of the Spring League “lore” that Perez garners? While every week fans of the UFL may be graced with the Perez back story of not playing High School football to now being a champion in professional football, Ta’amu doesn’t always get the same spotlight.

The NFL Numbers:

Both men have had the privilege of being able to not only earn NFL contracts but also spend time on an NFL payroll, however the experiences may vary a bit. Perez came out of Texas A&M Commerence in 2018. He’d sign with the LA Rams earning a spot on their practice squad at the conclusion of training camp. Perez would be released after 16 days and hasn’t earned a spot on an Active Roster or practice squad since. He’s signed Four more contracts since then with NFL teams each after a stint in a spring league.

Ta’amu was also a UDFA coming out of Ole Miss in 2019 signing with the Houston Texans. After his stint with the Battlehawks in 2020, he’d spend time on the practice squads of the Chiefs, Lions, Washington Football Team, and Panthers, before rejoining the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL. Ta’amu got one more crack at the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings in 2023 post XFL 3.0 but was released during final cuts.

NFL Income (per spotrac):

Ta’amu: $172,000

Perez: $15,200

Preseason Numbers:

Ta’amu: 3 G 7/12 50 Yds 0 TD 1 INT

Perez: 4 G 27/48 139 Yds 0 TD 1 INT

Win-Loss Records:

While it may not be easy to find it’s worth the “dig”. Ta’amu has played in 42 Regular season games and 2 Postseason games owning a record of 25-17 (26-18). Perez who hasn’t always been a starter is bit more difficult to track in addition to the “contested” statistics of the 2021 TSL season. Perez owns a record of 23-22 (25-24) including the 2023 XFL Championship win.

Head-to-Head:

Perez and Ta’amu have matched up Seven times with Perez making a cameo in their 2020 matchup with the Guardians. Currently Ta’amu has the edge with a 4-3 record against Perez, with obviously Perez having the edge in the XFL Championship. In their head-to-heads Perez has thrown for 1892 yds 14 TDs to 5 INTs while Ta’amu has thrown for 1680 Yds 12 TDs 8 INTs.

Overall Stats:

Currently Perez sits at 9129 Passing Yards and 56 Passing Touchdowns. Ta’amu sits at 8550 Passing Yards with 62 Passing Touchdowns. While the “eye test” does lean towards Perez it is worth noting that Perez has played in 54 games compared to Ta’amu’s 42 (regular season). It is worth noting that Ta’amu is the much more gifted as a running threat than Perez rushing for over 1200 yards compared to Perez’s 237.

Final Thoughts:

As we go into our 7th consecutive season of spring football and hopefully prepare for our 8th, the Perez-Ta’amu debate will hopefully be something we discuss for the next several years with hopefully the optimal scenario is both players are doing battle in an NFL regular season game.

But right now, it appears that Perez and Ta’amu fans will have to “settle” for their UFL bouts. This week with Perez trying to make a playoff push and Ta’amu trying to clinch an appearance in the XFL conference both Quarterbacks will face off in Washington D.C. in week 8 for their 8th matchup as starting quarterbacks.

With the playoffs on the line, another championship appearance on the horizon, and NFL windows closing Sunday’s matchup could be one of the final times we see the Two Quarterbacks who have helped shaped the landscape of spring football since 2019, I just hope when their careers are set and done, we’ve appreciated what these Two men have done for the “brand” since coming onto the scene.