Five Quarterbacks Who Could Find New Life in the XFL
By Erik Lambert
The XFL was a football venture long thought dead by most critics, gone after just one season due to poor management and low ratings.
It could be considered the last serious attempt by an outside source to challenge the NFL for supremacy in the American Football market, joining other failures such as the USFL and WFL. It could be considered the greatest failure of billionaire promoter Vince McMahon’s career. For all his success in the professional wrestling business, the XFL was his personal baby back in the late 1990s. For it to go down in flames so quickly must’ve been humiliating.
McMahon is a competitor above all else. Such a defeat likely has stuck in his craw for almost two decades. Now almost 20 years later he’s ready to give it another try. Word has continued to filter out that he’s begun selling off large amounts of stock, building up revenue to revive the XFL. There is no indication of what the overall plans are for the league and how they might be different from what went wrong last time. Still, it’s a rather big story nonetheless.
Another football league may sound pointless to hardcore NFL fans. Truth be told this could actually be a good thing for the sport. It could provide opportunities for coaches and players that may have seen their careers stagnate or decline in the NFL. Nowhere more so than the quarterback position.
Will be interesting to hear the plan for the XFL, as football needs a league to help players, coaches, front office executives improve at their craft.
— Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiNFL) January 25, 2018
This begs a fun question. If the XFL does become a reality in the near future, who are some QB names that might actually benefit from giving it a go?
Colt McCoy (31-years old)
The former Texas star became a 3rd round pick for Cleveland in 2010. For a brief period, it looked like he might become something in 2011. That quickly faded and he’s since become a long-term backup with the Washington Redskins. How much longer this lasts is unknown but the man hasn’t started a football game for half a decade. The itch to play one more time undoubtedly has to be there. This could likely be his best opportunity to show he has it.
Mark Sanchez (31-years old)
Those AFC championship runs from 2009 and 2010 seem so far away now. Mark Sanchez looked like a budding star back then. Roster mismanagement and poor coaching soon snuffed that out. Since then he bounced around the league as a backup. Most feel his window to start has passed. In fact, some are already asking if he might be interested in coaching. Presuming he thinks he can still play then this would make for likely his best shot.
Robert Griffin III (27-years old)
Other football leagues have often been used as an avenue to keep a career alive before. Doug Williams can attest to that. He was an early NFL success, fell off, rebuilt himself in the USFL and then returned to win a Super Bowl. Robert Griffin III certainly has the same capacity. He was a Pro Bowler once upon a time but thanks to constant injury problems haven’t been able to regain that form. He’s in danger of being relegated to backup duty the rest of his career despite still being so young. He is the sort of talent who could rule in an expansion league like the XFL.
Colin Kaepernick (30-years old)
No doubt this is the first name that many will jump too when considering a new league. Colin Kaepernick still has a ton of supporters in the football community and is a recognizable face. He’s tried for over a year to get back into the NFL but it’s clear the league wants no part of the distractions he’s proven he can bring. He already turned down the CFL but if it’s about staying in the U.S. then the XFL would make sense. His ability would make him an instant star. Whether the league could afford to pay him well is the big question.
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Johnny Manziel (25-years old)
The XFL was all about being the rebel league back int he day. If that mission hasn’t changed for McMahon then Johnny Manziel is the quarterback to get. He’s always been a rebel at heart and his brand name alone would elevate the league’s status considerably. Manziel is still not even in the physical prime of his career and has been itching to get back into football. The CFL looks like it might be an option, which means McMahon might have a chance to swipe “Johnny Football” if they act quickly enough. That could be a match made in heaven (or hell).