Former Alabama Crimson Tide star quarterback A.J. McCarron spent seven seasons in the NFL, primarily as a backup, before making the move to the XFL.
McCarron signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021 free agency to serve as a backup to Matt Ryan. Unfortunately, the three-time national champion suffered a season-ending ACL tear in a preseason game, and he hasn’t played an NFL snap ever since.
The St. Louis BattleHawks drafted McCarron back in November, and the former Crimson Tide star was happy to try his luck in the XFL. So much so that McCarron accepted a giant pay cut to make the move from the NFL to the XFL.
In a previous interview with Joe Lyons of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, McCarron shared a heartwarming reason for taking a significant reduction in pay to move to the XFL:
“My 6-year-old loves watching tape of me on YouTube. That’s a big reason I chose to return this way. I probably could’ve tried to come back with an NFL team and had a chance to probably made bigger money, but no one knows what the future holds. I’m enjoying this and it’s a great way to create some memories for me and my boys.”
It has been reported that McCarron makes $60,000 per season in the XFL. For the 2023 season, the minimum player salary is $750,000. Of course, an experienced backup like McCarron could’ve easily found another seven-figure salary if he stayed in the NFL.
The Cincinnati Bengals drafted McCarron in the fifth round at No. 164 overall in 2014. McCarron had to make three starts (he went 2-1) for Cincy in 2015 after starter Andy Dalton suffered a fractured injury.
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McCarron also started the team’s 2015 Wild Card Round game against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers, a heartbreaking 18-16 loss. In 17 NFL game appearances, McCarron had 1,173 passing yards and six touchdowns against three interceptions.
