Tag: XFL

Feb 25, 2023; Las Vegas, NV, USA; D.C. Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta'amu (10) warms up before the game against the Vegas Vipers at Cashman Field. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

XFL says QB Jordan Ta’amu signed with Vikings

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The XFL announced on Friday that D.C. Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta’amu has signed with the Minnesota Vikings.

As of Saturday morning, however, the Vikings had not yet announced a deal with the 2023 XFL Offensive Player of the Year.

Ta’amu, 25, guided the Defenders to a 9-1 regular-season record before losing to the Arlington Renegades in the XFL Championship Game on May 13.

He completed 62.4 percent of his passes for 1,894 yards with 14 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He also rushed for 298 yards and three scores and ranked second in the league in total offense (215.2).

Ta’amu, 25, played at Ole Miss before going undrafted in the NFL in 2019. He spent time with the Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Washington and the Carolina Panthers but has never appeared in an NFL game.

He played for the St. Louis Battlehawks in the XFL in 2020 and for the USFL’s Tampa Bay Bandits in 2022, leading that league in passing yards and touchdowns.

Minnesota’s quarterback depth chart includes starter Kirk Cousins, Nick Mullens and 2023 fifth-round draft pick Jaren Hall.

–Field Level Media

Jul 25, 2019; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Chris Smith (50) smiles during training camp at the Cleveland Browns Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Agent: Former NFL DE Chris Smith dies at 31

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former NFL defensive end Chris Smith has died at 31, his agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed Tuesday.

No cause of death was released for Smith, who was a member of the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons this season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Smith in the fifth round in 2014 out of Arkansas, where he was a second-team All-SEC selection as a senior in 2013.

He played in 72 NFL games (two starts) and recorded 11 sacks and 80 tackles with the Jaguars (2014-16), Cincinnati Bengals (2017), Cleveland Browns (2018-19), Las Vegas Raiders (2020) and Houston Texans (2021).

During the 2019 season, Smith’s girlfriend, Petara Cordero, was struck and killed by a car while standing on the side of a highway in Cleveland. She had exited Smith’s vehicle after it had a tire malfunction and struck a median. The couple had just had a daughter together.

–Field Level Media

Feb 1, 2022; Inglewood, CA, USA; The NFL shield logo is seen at midfield at SoFi Stadium. Super Bowl LVI between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals will be played on Feb. 13, 2022. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

NFL strikes deal to use XFL as staging ground

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The NFL reached a deal with the XFL on Monday to use the fledgling league as a testing ground for potential new rules and equipment, and developing officials and coaches.

As XFL president Russ Brandon told ESPN, the XFL can provide a “Petri dish” for the NFL to experiment.

Brandon is a former executive with the Buffalo Bills.

“People would ask, ‘What are the opportunities to look at the game through a different lens from a player development standpoint?’” Brandon told ESPN. “‘How can you be an incubator or an accelerant in many different verticals, from officiating to rules innovations to playing surfaces, to player development?’ You can go on and on.

The alliance will also aim at health and safety improvements as well as the sharing of game trends and data.

Brandon made it clear the XFL is not a player development league for the NFL.

“That’s a no. We are a spring league. We will play at the highest level in the spring. There is not the anticipation of any player sharing that changes the dynamic. That’s not how we’re executing our vision.”

The XFL is scheduled to resume play in February 2023. The league’s most recent reincarnation attempt was canceled in May 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and bankruptcy.

Vince McMahon was behind the first two attempts – the first in 2000 – but is not involved in Round 3. The new owners are actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Dany Garcia and RedBird Capital Partners.

–Field Level Media