At this point in the NFL offseason, most teams have their 90-man rosters locked in heading into training camp.
Teams are not looking to make many changes before the action gets underway at camp. The Houston Texans tinkered with their roster a couple of weeks ago, with the signing of former first-round pick Damon Arnette Jr., but haven’t done much since.
As we get closer to the start of training camp, veteran free agents will be waiting by the phone to get signed or brought in for a workout. Some of those vets are former Texans players such as Shaq Mason and Jadeveon Clowney.
Mason and Clowney haven’t received much interest this offseason, but it wouldn’t be surprising if they get signed during training camp. However, one former Houston quarterback might not get so lucky, and we are not talking about Jeff Driskel.
Ex-Texans QB A.J. McCarron Among Forgotten Free Agents Searching for Next Opportunity
Instead, we’re talking about former Texans quarterback A.J. McCarron, who spent two seasons in Houston (2019, 2020). The former Alabama signal-caller didn’t play much in those two years as the backup QB behind Deshaun Watson.
He appeared in four total games and only made one start. The veteran quarterback completed 22-of-38 passes (57.9 percent) for 245 yards and an interception.
After his time in Houston ended, McCarron signed with the Atlanta Falcons on May 3, 2021. But McCarron’s Falcons stint abruptly ended by a torn ACL in a preseason game, effectively ending his 2021 season.
The veteran quarterback returned to the gridiron, playing in the XFL in 2023 with the St. Louis Battlehawks. McCarron still had a passion for the game and proved that he could still compete with other guys looking to make a name for themselves.
McCarron’s XFL play gave him another chance to return to the NFL, as the Cincinnati Bengals signed him to their practice squad on September 23, 2023. The ex-Texans QB appeared in two games with the Bengals, where he completed 4-of-5 passes for 19 yards.
The Bengals released the ex-Texans quarterback in February 2024 as he returned to spring football, playing for the Battlehawks in the UFL. McCarron had another solid stint with St. Louis, but this time it didn’t lead to another NFL opportunity.
In fact, it didn’t lead to another opportunity for him in the UFL. St. Louis released McCarron on Nov. 15, 2024, and he didn’t sign with another UFL team for the 2025 season. It was shocking to see, given his play in the XFL and UFL.
That said, at age 34, it will be interesting to see if McCarron plays football in the near future. The 2025 UFL season is done, eliminating an opportunity for the former Texan. It’s unlikely an NFL team would sign him, as most teams would rather build and develop a younger signal caller.
Therefore, his next opportunity to play football would be in 2026, possibly in the UFL. However, it's not guaranteed that McCarron will get signed after getting released before the start of the 2025 season.