There are plenty of familiar names in the XFL, which kicks off Week 1 of the 2020 season Saturday afternoon. Most of the league’s starting quarterbacks either spent several seasons in the NFL or had prolific college football careers.

Here’s a look at the XFL’s eight starting quarterbacks.

Dallas Renegades: Landry Jones

Jones is questionable for the season opener because of a knee injury, but he’s the No.1 quarterback on Dallas’ depth chart. Jones spent five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2013-2017, going 3-2 in five starts with 1,310 passing yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions in his NFL career. He’s reunited with head coach Bob Stoops, under whom he threw for 16,646 yards (third all-time), 123 touchdowns and 52 touchdowns in four years at Oklahoma.

DC Defenders: Cardale Jones

The Defenders quarterback had a brief but spectacular career as Ohio State’s starter. He only threw 269 passes as a Buckeye and won the 2015 National Championship Game. Jones was benched after seven starts in his final college season before being selected in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. He went 6-11 for 96 yards and an interception in one game. Jones was traded in 2017 to the Los Angeles Chargers, where he never took a snap.

Houston Roughnecks: P.J. Walker

Walker has been named the starter over Connor Cook, who started a playoff game for the Oakland Raiders a few years ago. Houston’s quarterback threw for over 2,000 yards each year at Temple from 2013-2016, posting personal-highs with 3,295 yards and 22 touchdown passes as a senior. Walker went undrafted and spent a few seasons on the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad.

Los Angeles Wildcats: Josh Johnson

No XFL starting quarterback spent more time in the NFL than Johnson. The 33-year-old bounced around the league for 12 seasons with 13 teams, attempting his first career pass in 2009 and making his last throw in 2018. Johnson started a career-high four games in 2009 when he had four touchdown passes and eight interceptions with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The signal caller had a 1-2 record with the Washington Redskins two seasons ago, posting a 69.4 passer rating. He could miss Week 1 with an injury.

New York Guardians: Matt McGloin

McGloin started six games as an undrafted rookie for the Raiders in 2013, going 1-5 with 1,547 yards, eight touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 76.1 passer rating. He only got one more start in the next three years with Oakland and was cut by the Kansas City Chiefs prior to the 2018 season. McGloin put up impressive numbers as Penn State’s quarterback in 2012, throwing for 3,271 yards, 24 touchdowns and five interceptions.

St. Louis BattleHawks: Jordan Ta'amu

At just 22 years old, Ta’amu is the XFL’s youngest starting quarterback. He was Ole Miss’ starter in 2017 and 2018, throwing for 5,600 yards, 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 19 games. Ta’amu also ran for 507 yards and 10 scores. He was on the Texans’ 2019 preseason roster but failed to make the team.

Seattle Dragons: Brandon Silvers

Silvers failed to make an NFL team after a four-year playing career at Troy from 2014-2017. The 25-year-old averaged 2,669 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions per season in the Sun Belt Conference. He won the Dragons’ starting job over B.J. Daniels, who played for the Seattle Seahawks from 2013-2015.

Tampa Bay Vipers: Aaron Murray

Murray had one of the most prolific college careers of any XFL player. A four-year starter, he holds Georgia’s passing record with 13,166 yards. Murray threw for over 3,000 yards in each season, averaging 30 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. The Chiefs made him a fifth-round draft pick in 2014, but Murray never made his way into an NFL game.

Landry Jones Pittsburgh Steelers
Landry Jones, pictured throwing a pass during warmups at Lincoln Financial Field on Sept. 25, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is just one former NFL player in the XFL. Getty
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