UPDATE: As of 1/23, the league has specified Quarterback Chase Litton as a 4th player of the 1/19 4 player trade between the Seattle Dragons and Tampa Bay Vipers. Litton was not listed as a part of the trade originally and has been added to the leagues transactions for January 19th listing several days later.
Litton , a three year starter at Marshall, was on an NFL Practice Squad as recently as October. The Quarterback, who was one of the players assigned to teams in the second round of league assignment, is now expected to compete for playing time in Tampa with perceived starter Aaron Murray and back up Taylor Cornelius. The talented Quarterback with great size will definitely provide some pressure to Murray. The story below was originally written with the assumption that Chase Litton was waived and removed from the roster.
It was discovered earlier today that Quarterback Chase Litton is no longer listed on the roster of the Seattle Dragons. We can only assume that this means the team has released the Quarterback, whether through a mutual agreement or simply being beaten out by his fellow competitors.
Chase Litton was acquired by the Seattle Dragons as a part of the league’s second round of QB assignments, along with Wildcats QB Josh Johnson and Battlehawks QB Taylor Heincke. It was fair to assume that Litton being assigned to a team, rather than being signed outright, was a good sign for his standing in the league.
Chase Litton did not enter the XFL as an unknown name, especially to the avid College Football fan. Litton was extremely successful at Marshall, setting the school’s touchdown pass record for a Freshman. He went on to have very successful Sophomore and Junior seasons with 24 and 25 touchdowns.
Surprisingly, Litton entered the NFL draft following his Junior season (perhaps statistically his most mediocre year, throwing 14 interceptions), foregoing his senior year. Litton proceeded to go undrafted, signing with the Kansas City Chiefs.
After a solid showing in Training Camp and the preseason, Chase spent a full season on the Chiefs practice squad in 2018 and the majority of the offseason and preseason of 2019. Following his 2nd release from the Chiefs, Litton signed with the Jaguars practice squad. From September until October 21st, Litton developed his craft, before unfortunately getting released by Jacksonville.
This was the opportunity that opened the door to Litton joining the XFL. Having developed on NFL Practice Squads for the majority of 2 seasons, it was fair to believe that Litton would be able to secure significant playing time with the Dragons against a player like Brandon Silvers (who has a lesser NFL resume) and BJ Daniels (who focused more on wide receiver and special teams in the NFL).
However, Silvers has once again proven me wrong and the dynamic talent of BJ has risen above whatever Litton brought to the table. Brandon Silvers has consistently shown resilience in the face of competition. Remember, Silvers isn’t far removed from rising to the top of the AAF’s Quarterback depth chart, where he undoubtedly was the best option on that roster.
It’s impossible at this time to predict Litton’s next move, but I see no reason why the 6 ft 6 Quarterback isn’t the first prospect called if an XFL team’s starting Quarterback goes down. Chase could easily see himself back in the XFL. But for now, he will be searching for his next professional opportunity elsewhere.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Konnor Fulk excelled in the Sports Management Program at Georgia Southern University. He spent several seasons working with the Washington Redskins in fan engagement, strategy, and sales strategy. Additionally, Mr. Fulk continues consulting services across the sport of NASCAR. Konnor has a longstanding obsession with the concept of Spring Football and is looking forward to sharing his expertise and opinions about the XFL relaunch. Connect with Konnor on LinkedIn or give him a follow on Twitter @XFLKonnor
