AJ McCarron asked to be released by Bengals for a very specific reason

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By John Sheeran | Last updated 2/14/24

The Cincinnati Bengals made what looked to be a surprising move Wednesday afternoon in releasing quarterback AJ McCarron.

McCarron was scheduled to be a free agent next month, and even if he wasn't expected to re-sign with the club, there was no clear reason why Cincinnati would release him out of the blue.

As it turns out, McCarron was the one who wanted out of his contract, and for good reason.

Per Howard Balzer of PHNX Sports, McCarron requested his release in order to re-sign with the St. Louis Battlehawks, the XFL/UFL team he played for last spring.

QB AJ McCarron asked to be released by the Bengals (team announced it today) so he can re-sign with the UFL's St. Louis Battlehawks, where he played last season when they were in the XFL. Hearing that he will officially sign Thursday.
— Howard Balzer (@HBalzer721) February 14, 2024

McCarron made headlines a year ago with an MVP season for St. Louis. The former Bengals draft pick from 2014 led the XFL in completion percentage (68.8) and touchdown passes (24) in 2023, the latter being a single-season XFL record.

Those numbers helped McCarron get an NFL gig again for the first time in three years. He joined the Bengals' practice squad and was later elevated to the active roster. He ended up playing in two games during the latter part of the 2023 season.

McCarron would've only been QB3 in Cincinnati with Jake Browning establishing himself as Joe Burrow's backup, so it makes all the sense in the world to earn a paycheck and be a UFL star while the NFL is in its offseason. Another successful year in St. Louis could result in another NFL job in the fall as well.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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