These Three QBs Could Be Among the New Faces of the XFL in 2021

J.T. Barrett

Barrett had one of the most illustrious college football careers, with 9,434 yards and 104 touchdowns, adding another 43 rushing touchdowns and over thirty-two hundred yards. He has kept the interest of NFL teams since being undrafted in 2018. He’s had stints with the New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers but has never cracked an active roster.

Barrett is a dual-threat quarterback but is tremendously comfortable as a standup passer in the pocket. He seems like the ideal quarterback to prove his worth in the XFL and go on to have a career in the NFL. His play proves what he can bring to the table.

Chris Streveler

Streveler has a different type of story, but is the kind of quarterback that can flourish in a league like the XFL. In college, Streveler spent three years at Minnesota before transferring to South Dakota where he hit his stride under center. He was the Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2017 after putting up an astonishing 6,081 passing yards and 54 touchdowns.

After being undrafted in 2018, Streveler signed in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. His two year career in the CFL was highlighted by a 2019 Grey Cup Championship in which he was a big part of the Bombers’ offense.

After the 2019 CFL season, he was released from his contract to explore NFL opportunities. And on February 4th, Streveler signed a future contract with the Arizona Cardinals. The deal is for 3-years, and $1.8 Million but none of the contract is guaranteed.

After the Cardinals came to terms with QB Brett Hundley on a one-year contract for the 2020 season, the backup role seems all but locked in. Streveler could be looking at a 2020-2021 season on a practice squad in Arizona where he would be lucky to see game action outside of the preseason and then possibly make another run at a full-time role with a season in the XFL in 2021.

Streveler is certainly a dual-threat style quarterback. He measures in at six-foot and one-inch and weighs 211 lbs, but his play style looks more like if Ben Roethlisberger (minus four inches) could run the ball effectively in an RPO style offense. Take a look at his highlight reel:

Chad Kelly

Face it, Kelly is a total pain in the ass. He adopted the nickname “Swag Kelly” while in college at Ole Miss and never really seemed to grow up. He was famously released by the Denver Broncos after being escorted out of Broncos Defensive End Von Miller’s Halloween party. He’s basically Johnny Manziel if he wasn’t a loud mouth that didn’t know when it was time to give up. But there’s one truth about Kelly, and it’s that the kid can play quarterback.

He was drafted as Mr. Irrelevant in the 2017 NFL Draft, most likely as a way to slow his ego down. In Denver, he actually played his way into the backup job during training camp and saw some action in preseason. He’s currently on the Indianapolis Colts roster, slated as a QB3, but with the addition of Phillip Rivers and with the team holding on to Jacoby Brissett. There isn’t exactly a path to playtime available in his current situation.

Being the Nephew of NFL Hall of Famer Jim Kelly, there is some name value to having Kelly as a part of your organization, but it has to outweigh the cons, and for most stops in Chad’s life, it hasn’t been that way. But, the XFL and Chad Kelly could be a match made in heaven if the 25-year-old can iron out his off the field troubles.

While this isn’t a complete list of new players, it’s a working list. These are some names that have buzz around them and are proven at the position. The XFL has already seen a few quarterbacks sign in the NFL (P.J. Walker and Jordan Ta’Amu) that’s not to say they’re gone for good, but they have moved on to NFL deals.