AJ McCarron signs with St. Louis Battlehawks of UFL

AJ McCarron has signed a new professional contract, just days after being let go by the Cincinnati Bengals. McCarron is joining the St. Louis Battlehawks of the UFL, the team announced on Friday.

McCarron also played for the Battlehawks last season when the organization was in the XFL. He appeared in nine games, passing for 2,150 yards and 24 touchdowns, with six interceptions.

AJ McCarron is still playing professional football at 33 years old after being drafted in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He spent four seasons in Cincinnati, before signing with the Buffalo Bills ahead of the 2018 season.

The former Alabama star was then traded to the Raiders and spent most of the 2018 season in Oakland.

McCarron played for the Texans in 2019 and 2020, before signing with the Falcons for a year. It appeared as though his professional football career was over after playing for Atlanta in 2021, but as it turns out, he still had plenty of football left.

He played for the Battlehawks in the spring of 2023, before signing with the Bengals for the second time this past fall.

McCarron threw one pass in the Bengals’ 34-14 win over the Indianapolis Colts, and then came in to complete 3 of 4 passes in the final game of the season — a 31-14 win over divisional rival Cleveland.

McCarron was signed this season due to injuries to starting quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow struggled with a calf injury to begin the year and was nearly put on IR in the first weeks of the year but toughed it out and got healthy by midseason. He then suffered a different ailment altogether — a wrist injury that ultimately ended his season during the team’s Thursday Night game vs. Baltimore in Week 11.

After that setback, Jake Browning was elevated to the starting role and performed very well given the expectations and his lack of experience ever starting an NFL game. However, to back him up, Cincinnati called on an old friend in AJ McCarron.

Now McCarron will once again play for St. Louis in 2024 as he continues to extend his pro career.

Before turning pro, McCarron won three national championships at Alabama. He was named the Maxwell Award winner in 2013 and was also an All-American that season as he led the Crimson Tide to a national title. McCarron started 40 games during his Alabama career and passed for more than 9,000 yards.