It hasn't been a smooth path for Alex McGough trying to get back in the NFL. The former Green Bay Packers quarterback (and later converted wide receiver) signed back with the Birmingham Stallions earlier this season, but a shoulder injury made him land on injured reserve and miss a significant portion of the UFL year.
Now, though, there's good news on the way for the former Packer. According to Nicholas Thorn from the UFL Newsroom , the Stallions have released quarterback Jalen Morton, initially signed last week to give the team depth, especially because Andrew Peasley had also gotten injured.
The decision to part ways with Morton is a strong indication that Alex McGough will soon return to the field. The Stallions also have Case Cookus and J'Mar Smith (who unretired earlier this month) in the quarterback room.
Birmingham has a 5-2 record this season in the USFL Conference, tied with the Michigan Panthers. Both teams are close to clinching a playoff berth, even though the Houston Roughnecks (3-4) still have a shot. Each conference (USFL and XFL) has four teams, and the two best ones advance to the conference finals. The conference champions play the UFL Championship Game on June 14.
There are three weeks left in the UFL regular season. The Stallions will face the St. Louis Battlehawks (5-2), Michigan Panthers (5-2), and Memphis Showboats (1-6).
Alex McGough, originally drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round in 2018, had played two seasons for the Stallions in the old USFL, which later merged with the XFL. He won two championships with the team in 2022 and 2023, the second of which as a starter and winning the league's MVP award as well. The performance led to an opportunity with Green Bay.
He spent the entire 2023 season as a quarterback on the Packers' practice squad. In 2024, he transitioned to wide receiver and got hurt, but still managed to finish up the season on the practice squad once again. Signed back by the Stallions, he returned to his original position.
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