Michigan State quarterback Anthony Russo (15) scrambles during their 2021 spring football game at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, on Saturday, April 24, 2021. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)
Last weekend, the San Antonio Brahmas made the move to bench quarterback Jack Coan in favor of Reid Sinnett. Paired with a new play-caller in running backs coach Jimmie Johnson, it looked as if the Brahmas had found their offensive rhythm early on against Arlington. That all came to a halt when Sinnett was injured in the third quarter, an injury it was revealed this week that will keep him out for the rest of the year.
At 1-4, the Brahmas will need a lot of help (starting with a win over the Renegades on Sunday) to get into the playoff hunt. It’s unlikely they’ll be able to do that with Coan, their starter for the first four games. The team could turn to third-string QB Jawon Pass, but the first-year player may be too raw to be thrown into the fire without a stronger supporting cast around him.
Sinnett will eventually go on injured reserve, necessitating the addition of another QB. It’s unclear whether the team will add a player at that position simply for depth, or to come in and play right away in the hopes of salvaging what’s left of the regular season. If it’s the latter, they do have some options. Here are three quarterbacks who could be realistic targets for San Antonio:
-Anthony Russo: The advantage Russo has is that he knows the offense: He was in training camp with the Brahmas in January. If he wasn’t good enough to make the top three on the depth chart then, it’s difficult to imagine the team would see him as the answer to play right away now. He would probably come in as the third QB, a sign that the team would continue to roll with Coan or perhaps Pass.
-Alejandro Bennifield: There are a couple of traits San Antonio should be looking for when scouring the QB free agent market: One, they need to look for someone who is in shape and game-ready; two, they need someone with some mobility who can move in the pocket and take off, given the team’s struggles along the offensive line; and three, they need a veteran who can learn a playbook quickly. Bennifield checks all of those boxes. He’s currently a member of the Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League (IFL). Bennifield has played in the AAF and Your Call Football in addition to the several years he spent in the IFL, where he was MVP of the league’s championship game in 2021. Because the IFL and XFL struck an agreement in October wherein “the partnership provides the framework for transferring players between leagues,” the infrastructure is in place to make this signing happen.
-Khalil Tate: There was mutual interest between Tate and the XFL last summer when Tate was invited by the league to attend the Arizona Showcase. Eventually, Tate signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL, but he was released in August. Tate’s athleticism (he rushed for 1,411 yards as a sophomore at Arizona in 2017) has to be intriguing to a team like San Antonio, that needs to be more athletic on offense. He has NFL experience with the Philadelphia Eagles and is just 24 years old. If nothing else, you get a peek at a player you can potentially stash for 2024.
Those are three REALISTIC targets for the Brahmas. How about one unrealistic free-agent quarterback who has been in the news recently? Cam Newton threw at Auburn’s pro day this week, looking to impress NFL scouts, trying to get back into the NFL after last playing for the Carolina Panthers in 2021. While he looked about done as an NFL quarterback then, he may still have enough juice to lead an XFL team for a few games. Newton showed two years ago that he could still get it done with his legs, averaging over five yards per carry. He’d need that escapability in San Antonio.
Newton may be too proud to take a job in the XFL, but he wasn’t too proud to throw at a college pro day to get the attention of NFL decision-makers. No matter how well he looked there, the memories of his 2021 performances are likely to be a barrier to entry back into the NFL. If he doesn’t get any bites this week, it’s possible (though again, highly unlikely) that he’d feel he’d need to prove himself in game situations. He could do that in the XFL, coming to San Antonio and immediately being an upgrade to their QB room. It’d be low-risk for Newton, as he wouldn’t have to go through a training camp or commit to an entire season: It would act as a five-week audition. As a side benefit, it would likely bring fans back after the attendance at the Alamodome dropped by about 11,000 fans from the first home game to the second. Hey, it’s fun to think about anyway.
