The Cincinnati Bengals made an interesting transaction Wednesday, releasing veteran quarterback and reigning XFL MVP AJ McCarron. McCarron was signed this past offseason to give the Bengals depth at the position following Joe Burrow's season-ending wrist injury.
McCarron has signed with the St. Louis Battlehawks, the team announced Friday. The Battlehawks played in the XFL last season and will be part of the UFL's inaugural season.
McCarron briefly saw action in two games last season. He completed his only attempt in Cincinnati's Week 14 win over the Colts and went 3 of 4 in the Bengals' win over the Browns in Week 18.
McCarron signed with the Bengals following an MVP season in the XFL while playing for the Battlehawks. He won the league's MVP award after completing nearly 69% of his passes with 24 touchdowns against just six interceptions.
His desire to have his kids see him play in a significant way was one of the main reasons why he joined the XFL. Prior to 2023, McCarron hadn't throw a pass in an NFL regular-season game since the 2020 season.
A two-time national championship-winning quarterback at Alabama, McCarron was selected by the Bengals in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He went 2-1 after replacing injured starter Andy Dalton late in the 2015 season and played well in a losing effort against the Steelers in that year's wild-card round.
McCarron spent two more years as Dalton's backup before spending one season with the Raiders, two with the Texans and the 2021 season with the Falcons. McCarron's 2021 ended prematurely when he suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason.
McCarron will now look to help the Battlehawks compete for a UFL title after missing the XFL playoffs last season despite an 8-2 record.