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Soon, the XFL will return for the first time since the league’s pandemic-shortened 2020 season. As part of that grand reopening, the Orlando Guardians (née New York Guardians) will take the field with Paxton Lynch, the expected new starting quarterback, in uniform. Deondre Francois and Quinten Dormady will serve as the backups.
College experience
A former two-star recruit, Lynch landed with the Memphis Tigers just over a decade ago. After redshirting, he emerged as the team’s No. 1 signal-caller, growing from a highly inconsistent starter in 2013 to a bona fide NFL prospect before the start of his final collegiate season. Lynch finished his time in Memphis with 8,863 passing yards, 59 touchdown passes, and 23 picks. He added another 687 yards and 17 scores on the ground.
NFL experience
The Denver Broncos selected Lynch with the 26th pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, trading their original first-rounder and another selection in the third round to the Seattle Seahawks in order to do so. Lynch spent most of his first season sitting behind Trevor Simian, struggling to move the ball in either of his two starts. Lynch went into the following year hoping to compete for the starting job but fell behind Siemian as well as journeyman Brock Osweiler. After two more spot starts, Lynch’s time with the Broncos came to an end.
From there, Lynch caught on with the Seahawks during training camp in 2019, though they cut him prior to the regular season. He resurfaced with the Pittsburgh Steelers but never appeared in a game. A sojourn with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders followed in 2021, leaving Lynch to experiment with the USFL’s Michigan Panthers the following year. Now, he will attempt to again resurrect his football career in yet another spring league.