Breaking down the notable names on the Vegas Vipers XFL roster

The 2023 XFL season begins on the weekend of February 18-19 with four games on the schedule. Within that, the Vegas Vipers will travel to face the Arlington Renegades at 3 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 18. The game will air on ABC.

Ahead of that Week 1 showdown, let’s break down some of the notable names on the Vegas Vipers roster for the upcoming XFL season.

Vegas will boast a former top 10 draft pick in linebacker Vic Beasley, who played six seasons in the NFL. The Clemson product was selected eighth overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2015 NFL Draft, before transitioning to brief stints with the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders. He finished with 136 combined tackles and 37.5 sacks.

Pittsburgh Steelers fans will recognize wideout Martavis Bryant on the roster, who spent four seasons with the franchise during his NFL career. In addition to playing for the Steelers, Bryant had a brief stint with the Raiders, totaling a combined 2,183 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns for both teams.

The Vipers’ backfield will also have some NFL experience in the form of running back Rod Smith. The former Dallas Cowboys tailback spent five seasons in the NFL, playing for the Seattle Seahawks, Tennesee Titans, and Raiders as well. Smith finished with 101 career carries for 364 yards and five rushing touchdowns.

Heading into the 2023 season here’s the full roster breakdown for the Vipers.