The AFL brought QB Kurt Warner to the Rams and the Cardinals. Side note: They are making a movie about Kurt Warner staring Shazam’s Zachary Levi as the QB as Warner was playing in the AFL and bagging groceries for extra income before becoming a Super Bowl Champion and NFL Legend. It’s a damn good story.
The CFL brought surprise star LB Alex Singleton to the Eagles. The XFL brought well a few backup QB’s into the league that I honestly can’t remember and was a fun league to watch that felt like it was finally going to be the answer to the NFL’s minor league problem as it featured former draft picks, former NFL coaches and intrigue until it was abruptly canceled. Some may ask well isn’t college football like the NFL’s minor league system anyway? The answer is yes and no. Yes, it is how NFL teams scout talent for draft day. Yes, it is how NFL draft future players for their teams. No, it is not enough.
There are hundreds upon hundreds of late-round draft picks that are cut very quickly and in some cases early-round draft busts like QB Brady Quinn that could certainly have used a developmental league to play in before even setting foot on an NFL field. The MLB, NHL, and the NBA all have both college sports programs and developmental leagues with MLBs Minor league system, arguably being the best one and the best model for the NFL to follow. I really thought that the XFL was going to work out long-term until it didn’t. It had one fatal flaw. It was not directly supported, funded, and marketed by the NFL.
It needs to truly be a new league for the NFL made by the NFL to develop raw prospects and give veterans who were cut but still want to play. It needs every single team to be onboard and hire their own coaching staff for their own respected minor league football teams. It must be a league we have never seen before. Per an example who wouldn’t love to watch a football game on a Friday or Saturday between the Reading Eagles vs. The Steelton Steelers or The Keys Dolphins vs the Ephrata Jets?!
The problem isn’t the lack of football fans. America is a football nation that is obsessed with the sport. The biggest problem is that it has never been completely a part of the NFL or the teams of the league and for a minor league NFL system to finally work for the long haul the league would have to be completely one hundred percent associated with both. All 32 teams should be given a minor league team. think of all the late 5th and 7th round picks that given time to adjust while gaining experience against veteran players would have a better chance of one saying playing in the NFL someday? Who doesn’t love a 29-year-old rookie?
Fans would love it, and fans who can’t afford the ridiculous prices of NFL (even the pre-season) tickets would be able to enjoy a football game they can afford with the same level of excitement. perhaps a kids (or us adults as well) favorite new player was a late 7th round selection by their team who they were really rooting for but just didn’t quite make the team or practice squad well now instead of all the practice squad jumping from team to team without ever playing a down or being out of the league quickly and entirely that particular player still made the teams minor league football team and signs a 4-year rookie contract with the team that drafted him to play for said team.
Kid’s dream of seeing their favorite player his team drafted still playing football in the kid’s favorite team’s colors still comes true and perhaps that player makes an NFL team’s roster someday preferably with the team that drafted him, to begin with. The market is there. The players are there. The fans who will happily pay reasonable ticket prices will be there (in a limited capacity until covid is over but you get my damn point) Why is this league not here yet? There really isn’t a good answer.
Hopefully, the NFL will implement such a league in the not too distant future. Think of how many more players like Kurt Warner and Alex Singleton will get the opportunity to play in the NFL who otherwise would not without this league finally existing.
ATTN Dynasty Commissioners: Do you want to do something cool for your league? How about a 1-hour live show dedicated to YOUR league? Team-by-team breakdowns, rankings, and more. For details and to book a show, visit: GoingFor2.com/plp.
