UFL fans who may not have been paying close attention to the off-season moves that teams have been using to improve their rosters for the 2025 UFL season most likely missed a significant moment in UFL history. That moment was created by the Saint Louis Battlehawks’ decision to release quarterback AJ McCarron. McCarron has been the face of the Battlehawks for the franchise’s short history, and he has helped Saint Louis become the UFL with the most extensive fan base in the league.
This move is more impactful because it appears that the Battlehawks need to communicate this change of direction for the team to McCarron before making the move.
Many initially assumed that the Battlehawks and head coach Anthony Becht released McCarron because he was planning on retiring. McCarron’s reaction to being released shows he is not making retirement plans. McCarron wants to play for a UFL team that will face the Battlehawks twice next season to get revenge against the franchise. The veteran quarterback had displayed his loyalty but now feels the franchise has slighted him.
With McCarron’s stance on the situation being clear, few UFL teams would make sense for McCarron to contribute to so that he could have a chance to lead that team to a championship and also feel redeemed against the Battlehawks. Remember that the team McCarron goes to will most likely become part of the first legitimate rivalry in the UFL between McCarron’s new team and the Battlehawks.
The Brahmas would be an obvious choice for McCarron to choose as his new team based on his comments about wanting to face the Battlehawks two times this season. San Antonio will travel to Saint Louis twice this year to face the Battlehawks, and they are the only team in the UFL that will go to Saint Louis two times. Also, there is a budding rivalry between the Brahmas and Battlehawks after San Antonio upset Saint Louis on their home field to punch their ticket to the inaugural UFL championship game, played in Saint Louis.
In addition to the potential McCarron vs. Battlehawks storylines, the Brahmas are a team that is one piece away from being the best team in the UFL. That missing piece is a quarterback who can come in and be the gunslinger that offensive coordinator AJ Smith’s high-flying offense needs to reach its highest potential. The Brahmas’s explosive offense has several playmakers, including wide receivers Jontre Kirklin and Marquez Stevenson, who would benefit from McCarron leading the offense.
DC Defenders
Another team that would allow McCarron to exact his revenge on Saint Louis would be the DC Defenders. DC arguably has the second most rabid fan base in the UFL, second only to the Battlehawks. The Defenders are coming off a disappointing 4-6 season marred by several injuries to key playmakers.
The Defenders also need a quarterback after not getting a commitment from Jordan Ta’amu about his intentions for the 2025 season. DC would provide McCarron with a similar environment to the Battlehawks, and since both are in the XFL Conference, they would play each other multiple times. In addition, the Battlehawks and Defenders are already close to being considered rivals simply because of the fervor of both fan bases.
Another team that could be a great fit for McCarron would be the Birmingham Stallions. The Stallions are the kings of Spring football, having won back-to-back USFL championships and defeating the Brahmas to win the first UFL championship. McCarron would join a roster loaded with talent at all positions, and the Stallions have become a dynasty in the Spring football world.
Coming to Birmingham would be a homecoming for McCarron due to his connections to Alabama after he had a fantastic career while playing for the Alabama Crimson Tide. While playing at Alabama, McCarron became the all-time leading passer (9.019), finished second all-time in passing touchdowns (77), and was a Heisman runner-up in 2013. McCarron returning to Alabama to lead the Stallions could cement Birmingham as the most successful Spring football franchise in the history of alternative football leagues.
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2 Comments
by Ken Granito
AJ McCarron physically makes any UFL team better, but I agree that San Antonio physically is the best fit. If I were Birmingham I would sign him just to keep it from happening.
by Gary Winter
I agree, San Antonio or Birmingham would be great fits for AJ but I’m convinced that the place he’s best suited is St. Louis. He’s already a favorite of most fans. I’m still not sure why the Battlehawk’s would release one of the top 2 or 3 quarterbacks in the league when they have nobody to really take his place. It is St. Louis though. It’s pretty common amongst our professional sports teams to make moves that make no sense and then don’t really explain themselves to the folks who buy the tickets. Very frustrating to say the least.