The XFL saw its second attempt at a reboot (this time under the leadership of football, wrestling and film star Dwayne Johnson) go off without a hitch this season, with the Arlington (Texas) Renegades winning the championship in spite of a 4-6 regular season record.
For NFL stars, the off-season marks a much needed break after 17 (or more) grueling weeks of football. For the XFL’s top players, though, their 2023 football journey is just beginning as they try to make the jump from the comparative minor leagues to the promised land that is playing in the NFL on Sundays. It’s clear that NFL head coaches and general managers kept a close eye on the XFL during the inaugural season of its current state, given the wave of free agent signings that occurred as the season ended.
At least 21 XFL stars have signed with a big league club since the signing period opened on Monday, May 15. While they haven’t done so yet, the New England Patriots are another team that could look to do so as they attempt to fortify their roster, especially as questions grow surrounding whether 2021 first round quarterback Mac Jones will stay with the team after failing to improve on his rookie season. Patriots fans can use Massachusetts betting apps to get in on the action as Bill Belichick and his coaching staff try to turn things around this upcoming season.
Follow all your favorite XFL players making the jump into the NFL this season, as I am sure we will see more XFL players getting picked up. Here’s a look at some of the XFL stars who will get a chance to find a big league home this upcoming season.
First on the list is Hakeem Butler, who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a wide receiver. A hulking target, Butler stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 227 pounds, so he played as a tight end in the XFL, racking up 51 receptions for 599 yards and eight touchdowns for the St. Louis Battlehawks. Pittsburgh wants more targets for second year quarterback Kenny Pickett: he had weapons like Diontae Johnson and George Pickens in 2022, but neither of them is a true number 1 yet, and the depth chart tabled off sharply from there. Butler is an excellent depth signing who could turn some heads during training camp.
Next is Ben DiNucci, who played in three games for the Dallas Cowboys in 2020 before the team waived him this past season. After serving as the starting quarterback for the Seattle Sea Dragons, DiNucci earned himself another shot at a backup gig, this time with the Denver Broncos. He managed 20 passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns while completing 242 of 374 passes for 2,671 yards in 11 starts, although 13 interceptions put a big hit on his final line. He isn’t the next Tom Brady, but DiNucci has shown that he’s capable of a backup job. While it likely isn’t the first position you recall when thinking about football, a bad kicker can sink a team almost as fast as a struggling quarterback can.
That brings us to John Parker Romo, who will compete to win the starting job as kicker for the Detroit Lions. He’s teeing off against incumbent kicker Michael Badgley, who’s struggled to an 81.7 field goal percentage rate through his career. If Romo can keep up the 89.5 percent clip he managed in the XFL, he should be a shoe-in to unseat Badgley. Another offshoot league to watch during the dearth of football that is the NFL offseason is the USFL, whose season runs from mid April to the start of July: we should get another rush of free agent signings as their year wraps up.
