The XFL officially started their season on Saturday, and former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Phillip Walker made his mark in a big way for the Houston Roughnecks.
Walker led the Roughnecks to their first win of the season over the Los Angeles Wildcats, 37-17. Walker finished the game completing 23 of 39 passes for 272 yards, four touchdowns, one interception and a 103.8 passer rating.
Walker spent two-plus seasons with the Colts. He was initially signed as an undrafted free agent out of Temple following the 2017 NFL draft. He worked with the Colts on their practice squad for the first two seasons of his career but was released before the 2019 season.
Walker had intriguing arm strength with the Colts despite his size but showed during the preseason games that his accuracy was simply too erratic to trust on an active roster. But the Colts stuck with him hoping to develop his traits.
Walker must have learned something during his time with the Colts because he found some extreme success during his debut for the XFL, which is led by former Colts quarterback Andrew Luck’s father, Oliver.
It will be interesting to see how this league fares, but Walker has gotten himself off to a hot start in Houston.
