Lists of starting quarterbacks in the UFL


In American football, the starting quarterback is typically viewed as the leader of a team. The quarterback is considered the most important position on the field and among the most important positions in team sports. They are among the most high-profile athletes in North America and have been described as akin to A-list celebrities; in the United Football League, such quarterbacks benefit from national television exposure and in-game action that they may not get as backup or practice squad quarterbacks in the National Football League; former New York Guardians starter Matt McGloin, former Dallas Renegades starting quarterback Landry Jones and current St. Louis Battlehawks quarterback AJ McCarron all cited the ability to have their friends and family see them play professional football as reasons why they chose to play in the league. The success of an American football team often rests on the quarterback; thus, teams will go to great lengths to find a franchise quarterback to build around for the long-term goals of the team. This page contains the lists of starting quarterbacks for the eight teams that played in the XFL, a league that operated for 1½ seasons as a standalone league in 2020 and 2023. This page also contains the lists of starting quarterbacks for the nine teams that played in the United States Football League, a league that operated for 2 seasons as a standalone league in 2022 and 2023. Four teams from each league now constitute the XFL and USFL conferences respectively of the UFL.
Starting quarterbacks in the XFL received a substantially higher salary than backups and other position players. In the 2020 season, the salary for an XFL starting quarterback was $495,000 plus a $2,222 bonus for every game won as a member of the team; the "average quarterback" on a 2020 XFL roster was reputed to make $125,000, compared to $55,000 for other position players, with both figures including bonuses. The presumed starting quarterbacks were also assigned by the league office and not subject to the 2020 XFL draft, though this did not guarantee they would start. For 2023, the highest paid XFL starting quarterback, Brett Hundley, earned $200,000 in base salary, while Jordan Ta'amu and McCarron both made over $100,000, in addition to win bonuses. The XFL structure stood in contrast to the USFL, which purposely chose an egalitarian structure paying all players equally regardless of position; as a result, McCarron and Ta'amu were initially hesitant to stay with their teams as they transitioned to the UFL, which operates under the USFL's collective bargaining agreement. The USFL's players' union, United Steelworkers Local 9004, gave its permission for the league to sign players at a higher salary, stating that it would only enforce the relevant clause in the CBA as a minimum salary, not a hard salary cap, and openly encouraged the league to sign McCarron, offering to make union dues optional.

XFL Division

St. Louis Battlehawks

SeasonRegular seasonPlayoffs
2020Jordan Ta'amu
2021–2022Suspended operations
2023A. J. McCarron / Nick Tiano
2024A. J. McCarron / Manny Wilkins A. J. McCarron
2025Manny Wilkins / Max Duggan / Brandon Silvers Max Duggan

San Antonio Brahmas

SeasonRegular seasonPlayoffs
2023Jack Coan / Reid Sinnett / Jawon Pass / Kurt Benkert
2024Quinten Dormady / Chase Garbers Chase Garbers
2025Kellen Mond / Kevin Hogan

USFL Division

Birmingham Stallions

SeasonRegular seasonPlayoffs
2022J'Mar Smith / Alex McGough J'Mar Smith
2023Alex McGough / J'Mar Smith Alex McGough
2024Adrian Martinez / Matt Corral Adrian Martinez
2025Alex McGough / Matt Corral / Case Cookus / J'Mar Smith J'Mar Smith

Memphis Showboats

SeasonRegular season
2023Cole Kelley / Brady White
2024Case Cookus / Troy Williams / Josh Love
2025E. J. Perry / Troy Williams / Dresser Winn

Michigan Panthers

SeasonRegular seasonPlayoffs
2022Shea Patterson / Paxton Lynch / Josh Love
2023Josh Love / E. J. Perry E. J. Perry
2024E. J. Perry / Danny Etling / Brian Lewerke Danny Etling
2025Bryce Perkins / Danny Etling / Rocky Lombardi Bryce Perkins

Defunct XFL teams

Los Angeles Wildcats

SeasonRegular season
2020Josh Johnson / Chad Kanoff

Defunct USFL teams

New Jersey Generals

SeasonRegular seasonPlayoffs
2022Luis Perez / De'Andre Johnson Luis Perez
2023De'Andre Johnson / Kyle Lauletta

New Orleans Breakers

SeasonRegular seasonPlayoffs
2022Kyle Sloter / Zach Smith Kyle Sloter
2023McLeod Bethel-Thompson McLeod Bethel-Thompson

Philadelphia Stars

SeasonRegular seasonPlayoffs
2022Case Cookus / Bryan Scott Case Cookus
2023Case Cookus

Pittsburgh Maulers

SeasonRegular seasonPlayoffs
2022Vad Lee / Josh Love / Kyle Lauletta / Roland Rivers III
2023Troy Williams / James Morgan Troy Williams

Tampa Bay Bandits

SeasonRegular season
2022Jordan Ta'amu