On February 23rd and 24th UFL players began their onboarding process for the 2024 season, a league that has seen the USFL and XFL come together thus downsizing from 16 total teams across Two leagues to now 8 teams in One league. While the 2023 season may have been the league of opportunity, 2024 has essentially turned spring football into a reality T.V. show like survivor with half the league now "voted" off the island in Arlington.
Several UFL players had already announced their retirement prior to the UFL's Dispersal Draft, calling it a career possibly due to not wanting to deal with the uncertainty of spring football in 2024. With that being said Two more players have announced their retirements today, Saturday February 24th. Spring League fixture Alonzo Moore, and D.C. Defenders Wide Receiver Josh Hammond both took to social media to announce that they are also "done.
Moore had been in the pro football circuit since 2017, coming out of Nebraska as a UDFA with the Chiefs. After spending 2018 out of football, Moore would join his college coach with the AAF's San Antonio Commanders beginning his career across Three leagues from 2019 to 2023. Moore would spend time with the Commanders (AAF), Sea Dragons (XFL 2.0), and New Jersey Generals (USFL) from 2022 to 2023 totaling 72 Receptions for 1041 Yards and 8 Touchdowns in his career.
Also retiring was Josh Hammond of the D.C. Defenders who was returning for his 2nd season with the team. Hammond was originally a UDFA out of Florida in 2020 bouncing around the NFL for parts of Three seasons until finding his footing with the Defenders in 2023. Hammond would total 34 Receptions for 331 Receiving Yards and 1 touchdown in his lone XFL season earning an NFL contract with the Denver Broncos. Upon his release from the Broncos, Hammond rejoined the Defenders in October befogging announcing his retirement on February 24th.
Hammond and Moore join a growing list of spring league players opting for retirement rather than deal with the 2024 landscape of spring football. With more cuts (approx. 200 players) expected to take place prior to the opening weekend, it may be possible to see more players continue to move onto the next chapter in their life.