Ex-Jets QB Christian Hackenberg Eligible for Alliance of American Football Draft
November 9, 2018
With his NFL career hitting its latest bump in the road, former New York Jets quarterback Christian Hackenberg may be moving on to the Alliance of American Football.
According to Pro Football Talk's Josh Alper, Hackenberg was on the list of AAF player signings released on Friday. Former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Scott Tolzien was also included on the list.
There are eight teams located throughout the United States in Atlanta, Birmingham, Orlando, Memphis, San Antonio, Phoenix, Salt Lake and San Diego.
Hackenberg was a second-round pick of the Jets just two years ago. However, he never played a regular-season snap for the team and was traded to the Oakland Raiders for a conditional pick in May. He was waived shortly after.
The third-year passer eventually signed with the Philadelphia Eagles during the preseason but was again waived prior to the regular season. He spent the first nine weeks of the season on the Cincinnati Bengals' practice squad but was released on Monday in favor of former Oakland Raiders backup Connor Cook.
The NFL does not have a developmental league like the NBA does with the G League. However, the goal is for the AAF to help players hone their skills.
"Our objective is to take some of those people who can't quite make it and make them into quality NFL players," longtime NFL executive Bill Polian said during the summer, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
ESPN's Darren Rovell reported back in March that former NFL stars Troy Polamalu, Hines Ward and Justin Tuck will all have roles in the league. College Football Hall of Famer Steve Spurrier has been announced as the head coach of the Orlando club, and former Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick will serve as the Atlanta team's offensive coordinator.
The AAF's inaugural season will get underway in early February, the week following Super Bowl LIII:
For now, though, Hackenberg—among others—will have to wait until later this month to find out what his future holds. The AAF will hold a unique quarterback draft on Nov. 27.