The Denver Broncos reached out to the Houston Roughnecks to inquire about star XFL quarterback P.J. Walker, according to ESPN’s Stefano Fusaro. The Broncos are likely doing their due diligence on Walker as a potential backup quarterback candidate.
Walker (6-0, 207 pounds) led the XFL in passing yards (1,338) and passing touchdowns (15) this spring. He led the Roughnecks to a 5-0 record before the league closed down due to coronavirus concerns.
After breaking nearly all of Temple’s major passing records in college, Walker signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He spent two seasons on Indianapolis’ practice squad before entering the XFL’s draft last October.
The NFL has not yet given teams permission to sign XFL players because those players are still under contract with the upstart league. Once the NFL grants permission, Walker will likely be one a coveted target.
Denver waived Joe Flacco on Thursday and the team plans to start Drew Lock this season with Jeff Driskel serving as his backup. Walker might be a candidate to either serve as the No. 3 QB or compete with Driskel for backup duties.
Last year, Broncos general manager John Elway signed two standouts from the Alliance of American Football: cornerback De’Vante Bausby and nose tackle Mike Purcell. Denver plans to bring back both players in 2020.
Bausby was given a one-year contract and Purcell received a second-round tender. Other teams will be allowed to negotiate with Purcell but the Broncos will have the option to match any offer he receives. If a team makes him an offer that Denver doesn’t match, that team would have to give up a second-round pick for Purcell.
The Broncos’ willingness to give opportunities to a pair of AAF players might be a sign that the team would be willing to do the same with an XFL player. Walker is an intriguing QB for fans to keep an eye on.
