Alabama Football: Former Tide QB out for the season

Alabama football’s AJ McCarron will not return

For the first time in a long time, Alabama football is consistently putting quarterbacks in the NFL. Three Tide quarterbacks have been drafted over the past two years. Before that, the last quarterback to be drafted was AJ McCarron. While the young players are working on being the faces of their franchises, AJ McCarron’s season has been cut short.

McCarron was the frontrunner to be the backup behind Matt Ryan on the Atlanta Falcons. He started for Atlanta in the second preseason game against Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins, but he went down with a knee injury after taking a tough hit. He tried to stay in the game, but was pulled one play later and did not return.

After the game, Atlanta announced that McCarron is out for the season with a torn ACL. While he was not expected to start, this is still a devastating blow for the former Alabama football captain.

McCarron is an NFL journeyman. After four years with the Cincinnati Bengals as Andy Dalton’s backup, he went to play for the Oakland Raiders. He then backed up Deshaun Watson in Houston before signing as a backup with the Falcons this offseason.

The former Alabama football champion only has four starts under his belt in the NFL, but his career can still be characterized as successful. He has seven seasons under his belt in the NFL, which is more than your average fifth-round draft pick. He’s always found a home on a roster, and he’s earned millions of dollars playing the sport that he loves.

McCarron’s NFL future is now uncertain. He brings experience and leadership to any NFL team, but he’s also seen as a career backup. If he fully recovers from his knee injury, perhaps the Falcons will bring him back for the 2022 season. Either way, Alabama football fans hope he as a speedy recovery.