Things didn’t quite work out for former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones. He had a season to remember for the Buckeyes in 2014 when every game he played ended with confetti falling from the sky, but then had an underachieving 2015. From there he went to the NFL, but never really carved out a job, spending time with Buffalo, Los Angeles, and Seattle before being released and out of a job.
Until, that is, the human energy drink Vince McMahon decided to resurrect the XFL and have a go with it one more time. Now, Jones will be the starting quarterback for the D.C. Defenders, and will have fellow former OSU players Doran Grant and Tracy Sprinkle in our nation’s capital with him.
If you’ve had a chance to look at the XFL rosters, there’s actually some decent talent spread across the eight teams, and Jones has a chance to be one of the league’s stars. Those that have followed 12-gauge, know he has a cannon of an arm, and is a big, strong presence in the pocket that’s tough to bring down.
Number 12 for our #DCDefenders is 12 GAUGE, or better known as, Cardale Jones. He is a quarterback out of THE Ohio State University. He won a collegiate National Championship at OSU and played for 3 NFL teams! LET'S WELCOME 12 GAUGE TO THE DC DEFENDERS! #DCDefenders #DefendTheDMV pic.twitter.com/JJw47tjvRk
— đDC Defenders 2020 Seasonđ (@DCDefenders2020) February 4, 2020
Tom Schad at USA TODAY has taken notice. He included Jones in his Ten Players to Watch in the XFL. Here’s what he says about the former Buckeye star.
XFL leaders knew star power at quarterback would be pivotal to the leagueâs success, and Jones certainly provides some of that. His NFL career fizzled after short stints with the Bills and Chargers, but heâll forever be a legend at Ohio State after leading the Buckeyes to a national championship in spot duty as a freshman. Jones is likely to start at quarterback from Day 1 in D.C., and heâs one of the few players in the league that have the capability to draw in casual NFL fans and expand the XFLâs viewership.
What do you think? Does Jones have the goods to be a star in the zany world of the XFL 2.0, or will he continue to have issues putting it all together? Furthermore, if he does break-out, how long with the XFL last?
Tune in starting this weekend to find out. The D.C. Defenders take on the Seattle Dragons at 2 PM on Saturday. ABC has the game.