A.J. McCarron will return to quarterback the St. Louis Battlehawks in 2024. (Thomas Grove)

Jason Barnes
Staff Writer

The much-anticipated announcement finally came Friday morning.

A.J. McCarron is coming back to quarterback the St. Louis Battlehawks in 2024.

Last year, McCarron played nine games for the Battlehawks and completed 203 of 295 passes for 2,150 yards and 24 touchdowns — the most in the XFL. He then signed with the Cincinnati Bengals and was a backup QB on that team during the NFL season.

The XFL merged with the USFL to form the new United Football League. St. Louis was granted a team, and the Battlehawks retained his rights if he became a free agent available to play in the UFL.

That could only happen if he was released by the Bengals, which happened at McCarron’s request on Wednesday. No one was sure if McCarron, 33, would want to play spring football this season. But it all became official on Friday, when McCarron signed with the team.

McCarron was a star in college at Alabama, where he won three BCS championships before being drafted by the Bengals in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played seven seasons in the NFL, appearing in 19 games and completing 113 of 179 passes for 1,192 yards and six touchdowns.

Last spring, McCarron not only led the XFL in touchdown passes, he also led the league in completion percentage (68.8%) and was second in total completions (203) and yards (2,150).

The 2024 UFL season will begin for the Battlehawks on March 30, when they’ll travel to Detroit to play the Michigan Panthers. St. Louis’ home opener will come the following week, when the Battlehawks will host the Arlington Renegades on April 6 in a game at the Dome at America’s Center.