AJ McCarron Jul 29, 2021; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback AJ McCarron (5) passes during the first day of training camp practice at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
XFLBy Sean Keeley on

AJ McCarron has the honorific distinction of being the only quarterback to win consecutive BCS National Championship games. He’ll hope to get back to championship form now that he has a new professional football home.

McCarron was selected by the St. Louis Battlehawks in the 2023 XFL Draft on Tuesday. He joins former Virginia Tech quarterback Ryan Willis on their roster heading into the inaugural season of the new XFL.

McCarron had a prolific college football career with the Alabama Crimson Tide. After redshirting during the school’s undefeated 2009 National Championship season, he would go on to start 40 games for the program over three seasons, going 36-4 with two national championships. He also finished his college career with 9,019 passing yards, 77 touchdowns, and just 15 interceptions.

The Alabama QB was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft but his NFL career never quite took off. In four seasons with the Bengals, he played in 11 games, starting three. From there he bounded around between the Buffalo Bills, Oakland Raiders, and Houston Texans, starting one more game in 2019. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021 but tore his ACL in the preseason.

McCarron is certainly hoping that the XFL offers him a fresh start and a chance back to the big stage. Until we find out if that can happen in February, the football world had some strong reactions to seeing his name.

[St. Louis Battlehawks]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.

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