Former NFL Player Keke Coutee Makes a Decision That May Hope to Extend His Playing Career
Keke Coutee, former Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts wide receiver, signed with the D.C. Defenders of the newly formed UFL (United Football League). This adds to the list of former/current NFL players who have decided to extend their careers through the spring football league.
In Coutee’s NFL career, he posted 85 receptions for 966 yards and four touchdowns. He also had almost 300 total return yards in his five full seasons.
Coutee made a grand entrance when he entered the league. After being selected in the fourth round, Keke had 11 catches for 109 yards in his first-ever NFL game. Although Coutee showed promise early on, he could not keep the momentum going.
NFL to UFL Jump
Spring football has been a topic of conversation in many circles. Former college players never get a “real chance” at making an NFL roster. NFL players who haven’t lived up to the hype or are not getting a starting shot. Spring football has been deemed an opportunity for players to showcase what they have.
“The first phase of player dispersal saw the protection of multiple All-USFL and All-XFL selections and several former NFL players who have landed in the spring league. Among the notable former NFL players include Vic Beasley of the Renegades, Reuben Foster of the Roughnecks, Corey Coleman of the Panthers, and D.J. Swearinger of the Defenders.” According to CBS Sports.
A few players have ended up getting a chance on a roster in the NFL. A couple of players have even become stars for their teams. “Two former USFL players — KaVontae Turpin and Brandon Aubrey — have earned Pro Bowl honors in the NFL as members of the Dallas Cowboys.” According to CBS Sports.
Some former names that might seem familiar “include AJ McCarron (St. Louis), Matt Corral (Birmingham), Danny Etling (Michigan), Case Cookus (Memphis), and Tom Flacco (San Antonio), brother of longtime NFL quarterback Joe Flacco. The quarterbacks in last season’s XFL championship game, Luis Perez (Arlington) and Jordan Ta’amu (D.C.) will also return.” (ESPN)
AJ McCarron is one of the more notable names on the list. McCarron went from XFL to NFL and back to XFL (now the UFL). He will be suiting up for his former XFL again in the St. Louis Battlehawks. The Cincinnati Bengals rostered on AJ for the 2023 season. He played in 2 games total, only attempting five passes.
AJ stated different reasons for wanting to play in the Spring Football League at first entry. “A.J. McCarron said he could’ve remained in the NFL as a backup for better money but wanted to play to create moments for his kids. ‘My six-year-old loves watching me. That’s a big reason I chose to return this way.’” This was back in 2023.
Divisions for the UFL
The newly merged UFL will host four teams in each division—one division of the XFL and one division of the USFL. The merger is stated to allow for a stronger league. Players choosing where to play will now only have one league and eight teams. This may lead to a higher level of play, which the spring football league has had trouble producing.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, partial owner of the UFL, stated, “From day one, our mission has been to expand the game of football and be a league of opportunity, culture, and innovation. As we come together to create the UFL, we can build something powerful, exciting, and very cool for football fans – a spring league with lasting impact for all the players with a dream to play pro football and the ‘hardest workers in the room’ mentality to make their dreams come true.”
Hopefully, this will reign true as NFL fans desperately want something to tune into during the offseason. Kick-off for the UFL is set for March 30th.
Read More Related:
Why XFL’s AJ McCarron Turned Down a Larger NFL Contract for the XFL 2023 Season
Would you be interested in more articles like this? Follow me on X & Insta @Coach_CDowns. Check out my author page to follow along with other articles I have written.
