This articles contains my thoughts (and hopes) for the XFL when it returns in 2022.
There has long been the argument in football if the best collegiate team in the country could beat the worst NFL team. For a while, it was if Alabama could beat the Browns. Today it would be asking if Clemson could beat the Jets. My opinion on this is there is absolutely no way in hell that a college team ever beats an NFL team. What’s my reason for this stance? The NFL consists of the very top talent available in the NCAA, while the NCAA consists of the top talent from high schools around the nation. Within the NCAA, there are different levels that an athlete can find a home. There are competitive schools across all divisions of college football, however, it’s very difficult to find an athlete in division two that is better than an athlete in the FBS. It happens time and time again, but all of the Ohio State benchwarmers would still go whoop some ass, and I mean SERIOUS ass, at any division two university. Because of these varying levels, we see high school athletes from an immense range of skill sets and ceilings receiving scholarships or opportunities to play football, which is awesome. Although, when it comes time to move on from the college ranks, there is only one real professional option, the NFL. Enter, the XFL.
With most of the athletes in my college recruiting class graduating this year, people have been wondering if so and so will be playing in the NFL. Some of them I think, “No fucking way, not a chance.” For others, it’s a, “Yeah, probably.” For the last group, there’s hesitation. Because I really don’t know whether or not they will be able to make it at that level. That last group consists of incredible players who are dominant at their college. All of which certainly have enough drive and talent to be successful moving forward with football. Unfortunately, despite how good they are, there is only one option to continue playing that is slightly out of their reach. This is the spot that I think the XFL should fill.
This most recent season of the XFL, which I have been drawn to watching despite being amidst an NFL and NCAA season, had gained traction as some players’ chance at redemption to the highest ranks (the NFL). I don’t think this hits the niche that the XFL should be made for. The preceding AAF football league that came and went garnered talk about players performing well there to be later picked up by an NFL team. This, in my opinion, isn’t the right spot for the XFL either.
When watching last year’s XFL season, I observed many damn good players and several legendary coaches on display. With that talent around, I didn’t anticipate there should be much talk about any other leagues. I wanted to watch the XFL to see high-level football and high-level coaching. Let the XFL be just that. Don’t make it a second combine or a professional version of Last Chance U. Please, don’t make it the junior college to the NFL. Make the XFL a viable career option for college players to strive for. Continue to fill it with top talent to make the league itself more competitive.
The two most important questions out there are going to be how, and why. Well, there are only 68 players on an NFL roster (including the five additional practice squad spots added because of COVID that may or may not stay) on 32 NFL teams. That’s 2,176 available slots on an NFL roster. There are 104 roster spots on 234 division one NCAA programs. That’s 24,336 players in division one alone. This is why making the NFL is so hard, as it should be. This also means that there are ludicrous amounts of football talent/knowledge that aren’t playing. There are certainly enough players of a high enough skill level year in and year out that would be more than happy to play football for a salary. Thrive on that, focus on them. Take care of them. Scout more of them. Make the league as competitive as possible with the best talent that didn’t make it to or in the NFL. The big dogs will come to take some guys here and there, sure, but that shouldn’t be the goal. Provide an alternate league for players with the skill, talent, and work ethic to continue playing for a salary.
This objective achieves much more than just making us feel good that a hard-working young athlete gets to play football for money. It also allows coaches to build a system within their organization. If the XFL is to be thought of as the junior college to the NFL, then it will function as a junior college does. That means simpler, more bare-bones, playbooks that carry less exciting and dynamic game plans. It also means less time spent on player development while an increase in “paid assassins” (good players that are brought in just to dominate for a short while based on their ability rather than stay long term and better the franchise). This objective of making the XFL a sustainable goal for high-level athletes establishes it as a good career path that individuals would enjoy being a part of for years to come. Franchises would then gain longevity. Players would make names and spark debates within the XFL. Coaches would be more drawn to working in the XFL. It’s a win on all fronts of football.
If the XFL comes back in 2022 with this goal, I have no doubt that the fans, media, and money will come as well.
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