This offseason, the St. Louis Battlehawks moved on from their former starting quarterback A.J. McCarron, who was selected in the fifth round of the NFL draft back in 2014. Last year, former Green Bay Packers quarterback Manny Wilkins served as McCarron’s primary backup, but St. Louis also picked up 2023 seventh-round pick Max Duggan, by way of the Los Angeles Chargers, to compete with Wilkins for the starting job.
Up until game time, it was uncertain who was the winner of the quarterback competition. Once the game started, though, it was clear that it was the Wilkins show.
In his first game as a preferred starter at the UFL level, Wilkins completed 17 of 22 passes for 189 yards (8.6 yards per attempt average) and didn’t throw an interception. He also carried the ball for 43 yards and punched in two rushing touchdowns. A 77 percent completion percentage, two rushing touchdowns and a 102.3 passer rating isn’t a bad day at the office for Wilkins, whose Battlehawks beat the Houston Roughnecks 31-6.
For those who don’t remember Wilkins, he was picked up as an undrafted free agent out of Arizona State in 2019. He was on the roster throughout the summer, earning a practice squad spot during the regular season that year. In 2020, he remained on the team until post-draft, as he was waived on April 27th, following the selection of Jordan Love.
He spent the better part of the next few seasons out of football, only to resurface with the Battlehawks in 2023. Now, it looks like he’s ready to make the most of his new opportunity as a starter.