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Why Hasn't Former Illini Receiver Malik Turner Been Signed by an NFL Team?

Turner was one of the best receivers in the UFL this year, but the former Illinois wideout still hasn't received an NFL contract
Jared Shlensky|
Jun 14, 2025; St. Louis, MO, USA; Michigan Panthers wide receiver Malik Turner (17) scores a touchdown against the DC Defenders during the second quarter of the 2025 UFL Championship at The Dome at America’s Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images
Jun 14, 2025; St. Louis, MO, USA; Michigan Panthers wide receiver Malik Turner (17) scores a touchdown against the DC Defenders during the second quarter of the 2025 UFL Championship at The Dome at America’s Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

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Malik Turner was one of the best receivers in the United Football League this past season, and he saved his best performance for last – the UFL Championship Game. Turner's team, the Michigan Panthers, got steamrolled by the DC Defenders, 58-34, but Turner did everything he could, and then some, to keep the Panthers in it.

Turner, a former Illinois wide receiver, set UFL records with 168 receiving yards and three touchdowns while tying a league playoff record with 10 receptions in the championship game.

Turner led the Panthers' receiving corps in receptions and touchdowns in 2025, and if you include the postseason, he tied for the UFL lead in receiving touchdowns.

So why hasn't he been signed yet by an NFL team? Your guess may be as good as ours. We wrote last month about how valuable Turner could be to an NFL team that is thin at the wide receiver position, but no one has yet taken the plunge.

Tuner's age (29) is very likely what gives NFL teams pause, but given his NFL experience and the fact that just weeks ago he was dominating the next-best league in professional football, it's still somewhat flabbergasting that he has gone unsigned. Perhaps Turner will get a chance to catch on in an NFL city if and when injuries hit in training camp.

Realistically, the odds of Turner landing back in the NFL appear slim – and are diminishing by the day. Based on recent comments, though, it sounds as if Turner can be expected to return to the UFL next year – especially if he continues to be overlooked by the NFL. An Illinois native who recently finished his eighth professional season (including seven in the NFL, for seven different teams), Turner would seem to have more football left in him.

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Jared Shlensky
JARED SHLENSKY

Jared Shlensky is a contributing writer for On SI and a freelance play-by-play broadcaster. Jared was previously a sports betting writer for Yardbarker, an On-Air YouTube Personality for the Sports Geek and a minor league play-by-play broadcaster.

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