St. Louis BattleHawks quarterback Jordan Ta’amu isn’t going very far from the Gateway City to play football. It was reported Monday that Ta’amu agreed to a contract with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, according to CBS affiliate KMOV.
He was third in XFL league passing for the BattleHawks (3-2) with 1,050 yards, 12 TDs, and two interceptions. The league was forced to suspend its operations for 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic.
Ta’amu sparked the Gateway City to love the sport of football once again. The city had a football void as a result of the NFL’s Rams leaving the city in 2016, moving back to Los Angeles.
The Old Miss graduate went undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft. In two seasons, he threw for 5,600 yards and amassing 30 TDs.
Despite a preseason opportunity from the Houston Texans, he was cut from the roster prior to the start of the 2019-20 season. Ta’amu went 7 for 12 for 50 yards with one interception.
Kansas City — always on the search
The Chiefs are always searching for developmental quarterbacks, which led to the signing of Ta’amu, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Teicher.
Ta’amu became a target of Kansas City as a result of a 72% pass completion average. The XFL rookie amassed 1,050 yards with a league-leading 12 touchdowns. He would only lose possession twice due to an interception during his XFL tenure.
Teicher reports that the Chiefs have tried to develop many young quarterbacks, including Tyler Bray and Aaron Murray, since Andy Reid became head coach in 2013. Bray is currently a free agent, while Murray played for the XFL’s Tampa Bay Vipers.
Position battling for #2 won’t be easy for Ta’amu
Jordan Ta’amu will have a considerable battle for the backup position to Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes.
Recently, the Chiefs resigned veteran Chad Henne for the backup position. Kyle Shurmur is the other quarterback in the franchise, arriving last season as an undrafted rookie, much like Ta’amu.
So, what happens now?
The signing of Ta’amu to Kansas City leaves the BattleHawks without a starting quarterback for the 2021 season. While the XFL owns the player rights, they are only activated should the Chiefs cut him from the team. Even with player rights, Ta’amu would have to be willing to sign a new contract deal.
