Former NFL quarterback Paxton Lynch became the first American football player to reach an unfortunate mark.
Per Reporter Michael Balko Jr., Lynch is the first quarterback to have been benched in the NFL, XFL, USFL and CFL. Lynch was benched in the Orlando Guardians’ Week 1 XFL game on Saturday, a 33-12 loss to the Houston Roughnecks.
The Denver Broncos lost quarterbacks Peyton Manning (retirement) and Brock Osweiler (signed with the Houston Texans) weeks after winning Super Bowl 50 in the 2016 season. Then-Broncos GM John Elway traded up to select the Memphis product with the No. 26 selection in that year’s draft.
But Lynch struggled in his two seasons with the Broncos, going 1-3 as a starter with four touchdowns against as many interceptions. He had brief stops with the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers but never played a snap for either club.
Lynch spent the 2021 season with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders but also saw zero playing time. Lynch then joined the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League, but Lynch also struggled to find his game there.
So now Lynch will try to revive his career in the relaunched XFL. He didn’t get off to the best start in Week 1, but fortunately, there’s still time to turn things around.
