Ad Disclosure
Former SEC players without an NFL contract, but not ready to give up on professional football, will have a new opportunity to stay active and get the attention of team executives. A new spring league to start up in 2017 was announced Thursday.
https://twitter.com/SiriusXMNFL/status/812059572059906048
https://twitter.com/SiriusXMNFL/status/812060015557300230
The Spring League will conduct practices and six games from April 5 through April 26, 2017
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) December 22, 2016
NFL scouts are permitted to attend all practices and games but not connected with the NFL hence players on rosters are ineligible https://t.co/PVJYpSPKQu
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) December 22, 2016
When veteran players are cut, their hope is that another team is actively looking for their services. If not, it can often be a difficult path for a player to go a season without being on an active roster and try to make a comeback the following offseason.
Update:
Pro Football Talk reports that the league is not run by the NFL, contradicting the SiriusXM NFL Radio Twitter account’s announcement:
This is not an NFL spring league. It's being put together by the same person who ran the FXFL and has no connection to the NFL. https://t.co/DQc4XRCIpT
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) December 22, 2016
The source account later acknowledged the same:
The new Spring League has no affiliation with the NFL but is open to NFL scouts and personnel.
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) December 22, 2016
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
