Quarterback AJ McCarron might have played his last football game on Aug. 21, 2021. That’s when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while playing quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons during an NFL preseason game. The former Alabama All-American was 23 days from his 31st birthday and wasn’t going to be able to play football anytime soon.
On Sunday, McCarron will be under center for the St. Louis Battlehawks against the D.C. Defenders in a United Football League game at 11 a.m. CDT at Audi Field in Washington. ESPN will televise the game.
It’s the fifth game of McCarron’s second season as the Battlehawks’ starting quarterback. In between, he returned to the NFL as a backup for the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2023 season.
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McCarron said he doesn’t take his revival for granted.
“God only gives us a certain amount of plays, and you never know when that’s going to end,” McCarron said, “and so just this whole experience, being able to wake up each day with a clean slate to go out and do what you love to do is such a blessing, and it’s something that I don’t take for granted. It’s why I am the way I am from just being intense at practice to in the games being intense and just playing with a ton of passion.
“I love playing the game of football. I love being around it. I love being a part of the team and going out there and battling with the guys, so it’s definitely something that as you get older, you cherish more and more because you just know from a time standpoint your time of playing the game is fewer than what it was, how many years you have left playing, so I definitely have taken everything in and just trying to enjoy the whole process.”
McCarron helms the United Football League’s highest-scoring team. The former St. Paul’s Episcopal star has completed 97-of-138 passes for 838 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception this season. His eight TD tosses lead the UFL, as does his .703 completion percentage. McCarron has a passing-efficiency rating of 102.26 in 2023. He also has 46 yards and one touchdown on 10 rushing attempts.
“AJ’s done a phenomenal job with the offense,” St. Louis offensive coordinator Bruce Gradkowski said. “And I think coming into this thing, I wanted a veteran quarterback that could handle a lot because I wanted to do a lot offensively, and AJ’s the perfect fit for that.
“And then you look at this year, the way he’s playing with his legs. That was a focal point we talked about this offseason that he had to extend some plays. You have to make some plays with your legs, you have to move in the pocket. And he’s done a phenomenal job that way this year with just poise and composure in those moments, making smart decisions. And that helps any offensive coordinator.”
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.