It's been two weeks since the new United Football League, the latest version of spring pro football and the product of last year's merger of the XFL and USFL. Maybe I'm just in a bubble, but there are a lot of headlines surrounding it so far. special team.
Longtime Youtuber and former University of Central Florida kicker Donald De La Haye (aka Destroying) has finally made his shot at professional football, but… An unfortunate neck injury will likely cost him his season.. Meanwhile, two weeks into the season, Michigan Panthers kicker Jake Bates has emerged with field goals of 64 and 62 yards in the first two weeks, leading to a loss from the Detroit Lions and other teams. It is attracting interest.
Question of the day: Which UFL player caught your eye?
my answer: Believe it or not, he's not a special teams player. This is AJ McCarron.
There was no MVP award in the XFL last year, but if there had been one, it definitely would have gone to McCarron. He carried the St. Louis BattleHawks' offense for most of last season and returned immediately this year. His impact is evident from the moment he steps on the field.
A player who has been a career backup in the NFL (albeit on arguably one of the better teams) steps up to another pro football team, even on a roster made up mostly of his current teammates. , being able to be a man among men is very appealing to me. Or a former NFL player. This is a testament to just how good the NFL's best players are.
Also, McCarron isn't doing this to try for the NFL, so that's interesting to me. In fact, he said he moved to the XFL rather than being a backup quarterback in the NFL in recent years because he wanted his kids to see him play. After running the BattleHawks' offense, McCarron returned to the Bengals midway through the 2023 season and returned to action this spring. It's just a fascinating story to me.
Who has gotten the most attention in the UFL so far? AJ McCarron or Jake Bates? Is it someone else? Let us know what you think in the comments.
