Owner, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson officially announced that the XFL will be coming back in Spring 2023 after being paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2023 XFL season is set to start in the spring, a week after the Super Bowl, meaning it won’t compete with the NFL season.
While many players are still under contract with the USFL, the XFL was still able to bring some attention by adding some former NFL players to the league, including Martavis Bryant, AJ McCarron and Mataeo Durant.
XFL to Begin in 2023
The XFL began its official restart following the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic with the 2022 XFL Draft.
With the season set to begin in late February 2023, the XFL still managed to attract some noteworthy names that should make for an exciting season.
Since players that played in the USFL last year remain under contract, the XFL will have a smaller pool of talent to choose from to fill up its remaining roster spots.
However, the XFL is set to draft over a dozen former Pittsburgh Steelers’ players, including Martavis Bryant, Alize Mack, Matthew Sexton, Mataeo Durant, and more.
Football fans can catch any XFL games on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and FX.
Martavis Bryant Drafted to the Vegas Vipers
Pittsburgh Steelers’ legend Rod Woodson drafted former Steelers’ wide receiver Martavis Bryant to the Vegas Vipers with the fifth overall pick in the first round.
The XFL Draft has different parameters than the NFL Draft. The first round is strictly dedicated to offensive skill positions only.
Even with those rules, Woodson’s pick was still rather surprising. While Bryant showed flashes of brilliance with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he struggled with multiple suspensions throughout his career.
The last time football fans heard from Bryant, he was getting cut from the CFL.
Still, the former Steelers’ wide receiver is a gifted pass catcher with a ton of athleticism, height and tremendous speed. In his rookie year with the Steelers, he caught eight touchdowns on 26 total receptions.
Bryant will look to restart his football career in the XFL in a new league.
AJ McCarron to be Picked Up by St. Louis Battlehawks
While McCarron worked out with the New York Giants, he decided to pass up the opportunity of earning another NFL paycheck in hopes of playing in the XFL.
The former Alabama quarterback was the starter in the BCS national championship in 2011 and 2012. He was the Crimson Tide’s all-time passing leader in 2013 and won the Maxwell Award and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award that same year.
McCarron was drafted fifth round in the 2014 draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. During his NFL Career, he’s mainly played a backup role with the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans, and Atlanta Falcons.
In the XFL, he was drafted in the first round and will be the quarterback of the St. Louis Battlehawks.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
