The XFL relaunches in February 2020, but already has its first player on board. The professional football league announced Thursday that it has signed former Oklahoma and Steelers quarterback Landry Jones to a contract.
Head coaches of the league’s eight teams will each pick their starting quarterback from the eight contracted QBs ahead of the XFL’s inaugural player draft in October.
Jones said, “I’m looking forward to joining the XFL and playing the game I love. I can’t wait to suit-up,” in the XFL’s release.
The 30-year-old set Big 12 records in passing yards, completions and passing touchdowns in four seasons with the Sooners. He started five regular-season NFL games with Pittsburgh, then two games in the 2018 preseason before the team released him Sept. 1. He was picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars but later released from that team in the fall as well.
The timing of the XFL’s draft is intentional, according to CEO Oliver Luck, as the league hopes to pick up players that NFL teams cut heading into the regular season. Luck explained in December 2018, as the revamp was announced, that “there will be relatively little in common with XFL 2001,” as it relies less on showmanship and distances itself from WWE while focusing on a higher level of football with more refined branding.
Eight teams kick off the season in February 2020.
