The Alliance of American Football wants to help players reach (or return) to the National Football League, essentially serving as an unofficial development league.
Former Denver Broncos defensive lineman Shakir Soto, who now plays as a rotational defensive lineman for the San Diego Fleet, might be able to successfully use the AAF as a springboard back to the NFL.
Soto (6-3, 300 pounds) has recorded eight tackles through three games and 2.5 sacks, which is tied for the third-most in the league. He had a huge sack in San Diego’s 31-11 win over the San Antonio Commanders in Week 3:
The Fleet (2-1) are now tied for first place in the Western Conference with the Arizona Hotshots, a team that features former Broncos linebacker Steven Johnson. Johnson is currently ranked fifth in the league with 14 tackles.
Johnson and former Denver safety Orion Stewart (who plays for San Antonio) have also recorded one interception apiece in the AAF.
Soto signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Pittsburgh following the 2017 NFL draft. He failed to make the team’s 53-man roster but spent part of his rookie season on Denver’s practice squad before a brief stint with the Oakland Raiders.
If he continues performing well in the AAF, Soto will probably get another shot with an NFL team this summer.
