Things are abnormally quiet on the sports front due to the COVID-19 outbreak, however, on Monday a few very talented XFL players have signed deals to join NFL teams.
Jordan Ta’amu follows PJ Walker into NFL
Last week, the XFL announced that players could start negotiating contract deals with the NFL or CFL as soon as Monday, March 23.
Already, three of the biggest names have bolted to the NFL.
The first to be reported was Houston Roughnecks quarterback PJ Walker. Walker is now a member of the Carolina Panthers and will back up the newly signed Teddy Bridgewater in 2020.
Walker led the XFL in almost every passing category as his Houston Roughnecks finished the shortened season with a 5-0 record.
Shortly after that move, Walker’s teammate, cornerback Deatrick Nichols, was scooped up by the New Orleans Saints.
CB/S Deatrick Nichols (former @XFLRoughnecks & @xfl2020 Interception Leader) has signed with the New Orleans Saints. pic.twitter.com/MjtNMU1qrO
— Aston Wilson (@AstonWilson) March 23, 2020
Like Walker, Nichols spent a bit of time in the NFL before his XFL gig. Nichols was on the Arizona Cardinals’ 2018 roster and practice squad before he was released in 2019.
After having a nice run with the Roughnecks, Nichols is getting another shot in the NFL with the Saints.
Which brings us to the latest player to make the XFL to NFL shift in Jordan Ta’amu.
Ta’amu now Patrick Mahomes’ backup?
One of the names expected to go fast when negotiations began for XFL players was Jordan Ta’amu. And just like predicted, Ta’amu did not make it past the first day.
Ta’amu will be making a trip right down the road, as he jumps from the XFL’s St. Louis BattleHawks to the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs.
Honestly, if you watched Ta’amu play in college at Ole Miss, you would wonder why he wasn’t in the NFL already. Nevertheless, Ta’amu’s performance while with the BattleHawks showed everyone that he can run the RPO offense very well.
This is a great pick up for the Chiefs, considering Ta’amu should be a much better than average backup if they should need him to fill in for Patrick Mahomes in the future.
Ta’amu threw for 1,050 yards and rushed for 217 more in the abbreviated XFL 2020 campaign.
These three players, along with many more, are a perfect reason why the XFL will succeed in the future. Unlike the first go-round in 2001, the NFL and XFL are working together in many ways and that’s a great thing for both leagues.
Without the XFL, fans wouldn’t have seen Ta’mau and the many others that are primed to follow.