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Three former Green Bay pass-catchers hope to bring home a four-peat for Birmingham
The United Football League kicks off next week, which means that the UFL’s eight rosters just went through their roster cutdown process. Many notable Green Bay Packers ended up making it through cuts, most of which were also members of the league last season.
Here’s your quick rundown on some of the top former Packers in the league:
The former LSU quarterback was a member of the Packers’ roster from 2021 to 2023, but he never appeared in a regular season game for Green Bay. Last year, he started four games for the Michigan Panthers, going 3-1 in those contests. The starter for the majority of the Panthers’ games last year was E.J. Perry, who was released by the Panthers and later picked up by the Memphis Showboats in February, a sign that Michigan could be clearing the runway for Etling to start in 2025.
Manny Wilkins only spent a short time in Green Bay, signing on as an undrafted free agent in 2019, a season which he spent on the team’s practice squad. He was released by the Packers the next spring and resurfaced with the St. Louis Battlehawks in 2023. The Battlehawks do not return their 2024 starter in AJ McCarron, so the likely starter will either by Wilkins or Max Duggan, a 2023 seventh-round pick by way of the Los Angeles Chargers, in 2025.
That’s right, Alex McGough has made the full transition to wide receiver. McGough was brought to the Packers as a quarterback after he was named the USFL MVP. Over two years in Green Bay, McGough spent time at both quarterback and receiver on the Packers’ practice squad. Two years removed from his last spring league season, McGough is now coming back to Birmingham as a receiver.
Speaking of Stallions receivers, Birmingham also has former Packers third-round pick Amari Rodgers. This will be the second year that Rodgers spends in the UFL after failing to catch on with the Houston Texans or Indianapolis Colts following his release from Green Bay. Last year, he recorded 196 receiving yards, which was good for 34th in the league. He also posted 283 punt return yards, which was good for 20th.
Hey, even more former Green Bay pass-catchers for the Stallions, who have won three straight spring league championships. After becoming the USFL’s receiving touchdowns leader in his first stint with the Stallions back in 2023, Sternberger returned to the NFL with the Buffalo Bills, though, he failed to make it through cutdowns. In 2024, the Packers’ former third-round returned to Birmingham and was named to the All-UFL team last season. He’s considered to be the top tight end in the league.
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