AJ McCarron #10 of the St. Louis Battlehawks throws the ball during the first half against the Memphis Showboats at The Dome at America’s Center on April 20, 2024 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/UFL/Getty Images)
It’s a tale as old as time in the sports world.
Team acquires player. Player stars for team. Team moves on from player. Player feels slighted, determines to make life miserable for team.
It happened with Joe Montana and the 49ers. It happened with Aaron Rodgers at the Packers. It happened with Tom Brady and the Patriots. And now it has happened in the UFL.
The St. Louis Battlehawks released QB A.J. McCarron on Friday, opting to move in a different direction at the position. In speaking on the McCready & Siskey podcast released Monday, McCarron expressed dissatisfaction with the process, calling out his former head coach, Anthony Becht, and vowing revenge in 2025, anticipating a return to the UFL with a new team.
It’s a disappointing ending to what had seemed like a match made in heaven: The city of St. Louis embraced the Battlehawks like no other city in the XFL/UFL had done with their team, and McCarron was the face of the franchise. McCarron loved St. Louis and the city loved him back.
McCarron, a former NFL draft pick and veteran of the league, chose to play in the UFL so that his young sons could watch their dad not stand on the sidelines with a clipboard as he would have in the NFL, but sling the rock as the focal point of an offense. His family, visible at almost every game, became part of the Battlehawk fabric.
If McCarron had been just another journeyman clinging to the last vestiges of his talent, perhaps this wouldn’t be a story. But we’re talking about one of the best, if not the best, quarterbacks in spring football over the past two seasons.
True, an injury to his ankle hampered McCarron’s effectiveness down the stretch last year and at 34 years old, perhaps Becht and general manager Dave Boller felt it was better to move on a year too early than a year too late.
Becht, like all others in his position, is coaching for his job, but he in particular is also coaching for his next job – he’s not been shy about his desire to one day be an NFL head coach. Therefore, it’s hard to imagine Becht parting ways with McCarron if he truly thought the team could continue winning with A.J. at the helm.
Now, they’ve created a monster, such that in the same interview, McCarron made it clear his desire to play for an XFL Conference team so that he could trounce St. Louis twice a year. The wounds of this divorce are obviously still raw – will it still be that way in March when the season kicks off?
It’s a common trait among star athletes to look for a chip wherever they can get it. This is now McCarron’s motivation to play a third year of spring football when many others in his cleats would’ve hung’em up. His 2025 season is now the personification of the Michael Jordan “and I took that personally” meme.
St. Louis’s loss could be the UFL’s gain: Heading into a critical second season, the league needs all the buzz it can get. A heated rivalry built on personal grievance could provide that buzz and is more likely to break through into the mainstream than other non-organic initiatives.
The UFL will grow, in part, because of the relationships teams and players foster with the cities in which they play. No one exemplified that relationship better than McCarron in St. Louis. Ultimately, personnel decisions come down to what those players can do on the football field to help the team win. Becht thought it was time to move on. McCarron felt slighted. A story as old as time.
3 thoughts on “COLUMN: McCarron’s split with Battlehawks the latest in a long line of QB/team relationships gone wrong”
I agree. This will bring some press to the UFL. It might be the silver lining.
Hopefully there is more to come like some other vets, similar, to McCarron and Latimer who want see what the UFL game is about. I know it hadn’t worked out for Wayne Gallman the way he wanted last year, but if you watched he got better as the year went on. He may not be back this year. We shall see. However, I would love to see Bam Knight or Royce Freeman if they are healthy. Basically, if the league grows to 10 teams next year we will be in good a good place player-wise. With that in mind, I am hopeful, McCarron, Luis Perez and Jordan Ta’amu are not just active this year, but next as well. That would leave the league in very good hands going into a ten teamed UFL. For now let’s discuss where AJ McCarron ends up.
1. Brahmas. The Brahmas have the defense that will keep the offense on the field and an offense already featuring a good o-line, John Lovett and a bevy of good receivers. With AJ McCarron and a solid placekicker the team will be the odds on favorite to knock off the Stallions as best in all the land. It will also make the team a desirable landing spot for a NFL veteran receiver looking to catch on in a good place. After that coaching and injuries are always challenges the could change a season. I think we know that as long as the same coaches come back they should be favored.
Showboats: Showboats? Yes you would think there would be more and better landing spots for quite possibly the best QB in the league. With the right talent the Showboats can shock some people. Ken Whisenhunt and DC Ray Horton (my guess) will bring a professional coaching culture to Memphis. When Whisenhunt coached in Arizona, Horton was his Defensive Co-ordinator. With all the signings of past Maulers players. I think this is a sign. If Jarren Horton comes on board this would make a nice addition bringing cohesion and a succession plan for the future. They already have some great receivers to throw to. They will need an offensive line so an o-line coach that knows what he is doing.
3. Stallions: Holtz likes to teach and likes QBs who can also run, but McCarron played for Alabama and maybe Holtz would like to know what it feels like to run the ball.
4. Renegades: I hope this doesn’t happen as Perez is my favorite UFL player, however he would fit right in there any maybe even do Perez one better.
5. Defenders: Not only do they have Jordan Ta’amu, but there is a certain amount of disfunction in the land of Bounty Gate. That stated if Gregg Williams is able to bring the pieces together, maybe it will all work this year. It does take a little time to develop this. Maybe McCarron signs with the Defenders and Ta’amu is traded to the Battlehawks for Ryan Mueller. That would be fitting.
Though AJ McCarron would pretty much make any team better, the Panthers are already good and I don’t think he wants to go to Houston.
A lot of speculation there, but heck it’s fun. I am hopeful people will get as excited about this stuff as I am. I love to see people who felt their dreams were done, have another shot at them.
I agree. This will bring some press to the UFL. It might be the silver lining.
Hopefully there is more to come like some other vets, similar, to McCarron and Latimer who want see what the UFL game is about. I know it hadn’t worked out for Wayne Gallman the way he wanted last year, but if you watched he got better as the year went on. He may not be back this year. We shall see. However, I would love to see Bam Knight or Royce Freeman if they are healthy. Basically, if the league grows to 10 teams next year we will be in good a good place player-wise. With that in mind, I am hopeful, McCarron, Luis Perez and Jordan Ta’amu are not just active this year, but next as well. That would leave the league in very good hands going into a ten teamed UFL. For now let’s discuss where AJ McCarron ends up.
1. Brahmas. The Brahmas have the defense that will keep the offense on the field and an offense already featuring a good o-line, John Lovett and a bevy of good receivers. With AJ McCarron and a solid placekicker the team will be the odds on favorite to knock off the Stallions as best in all the land. It will also make the team a desirable landing spot for a NFL veteran receiver looking to catch on in a good place. After that coaching and injuries are always challenges the could change a season. I think we know that as long as the same coaches come back they should be favored.
Showboats: Showboats? Yes you would think there would be more and better landing spots for quite possibly the best QB in the league. With the right talent the Showboats can shock some people. Ken Whisenhunt and DC Ray Horton (my guess) will bring a professional coaching culture to Memphis. When Whisenhunt coached in Arizona, Horton was his Defensive Co-ordinator. With all the signings of past Maulers players. I think this is a sign. If Jarren Horton comes on board this would make a nice addition bringing cohesion and a succession plan for the future. They already have some great receivers to throw to. They will need an offensive line so an o-line coach that knows what he is doing.
3. Stallions: Holtz likes to teach and likes QBs who can also run, but McCarron played for Alabama and maybe Holtz would like to know what it feels like to run the ball.
4. Renegades: I hope this doesn’t happen as Perez is my favorite UFL player, however he would fit right in there any maybe even do Perez one better.
5. Defenders: Not only do they have Jordan Ta’amu, but there is a certain amount of disfunction in the land of Bounty Gate. That stated if Gregg Williams is able to bring the pieces together, maybe it will all work this year. It does take a little time to develop this. Maybe McCarron signs with the Defenders and Ta’amu is traded to the Battlehawks for Ryan Mueller. That would be fitting.
Though AJ McCarron would pretty much make any team better, the Panthers are already good and I don’t think he wants to go to Houston.
A lot of speculation there, but heck it’s fun. I am hopeful people will get as excited about this stuff as I am. I love to see people who felt their dreams were done, have another shot at them.
Correction 3. Stallions maybe Skip Holtz would like what it is to throw the ball more.
Um, when did Aaron Rodgers come back and beat the Packers (as the other two QBs did to their former teams)? Zach Wilson was the Jets QB in 2022
In fact the only team he’s made life hell for is the Jets