The Cincinnati Bengals granted the release of quarterback AJ McCarron earlier this week in order for him to re-join the St. Louis Blackhawks of the UFL.
The founding XFL club officially announced McCarron's re-signing Friday morning.
McCarron was the Bengals' QB3 for most of last season, which was a necessity with Joe Burrow's calf and wrist injuries. He appeared in two games as Jake Browning's backup towards the end of the year.
Prior to making his Cincinnati return, the Bengals' fifth-round pick from the 2014 NFL Draft balled out for St. Louis last year in the XFL. McCarron threw for a league-record 24 passing touchdowns and completing 68.8% of his passes on his way to winning the league MVP.
The Battlehawks and the rest of the XFL have merged with the AAF to form the UFL, aka the United Football League. McCarron is poised to be one of the faces of the league with another season like last year.
Cincinnati will likely invest in a rookie to develop behind Burrow and Browning this season, be it a late-round draft pick or an undrafted free agent.
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