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Former Bengals QB AJ McCarron Named Head Coach of Professional Football Team

He played most of his NFL career with the Bengals.
Russell Heltman|
Dec 23, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron (4) warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Dec 23, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron (4) warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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Cincinnati Bengals

CINCINNATI — AJ McCarron is back in football, this time as a head coach. The United Football League's Birmingham Stallions announced him as the team's newest head coach on Thursday morning.

McCarron famously led the Bengals in their 2015 NFL Wild Card Round defeat at the hands of Pittsburgh and played seven total NFL seasons with four in Cincinnati.

He ended his career in 2023 with Cincinnati after being out of the league since 2020.

“I am excited about this new opportunity with the UFL,” McCarron said in a press release. “This game has given me so much as a player, and now I am ready to give back as a coach. It’s even more special that I get to do that while representing my home state — a state that has supported me throughout my career. Our team will build upon the amazing legacy of Skip Holtz. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Coach Holtz, what he has done for the league and for the Stallions. I am ready to put in the work that will continue producing championship wins for the city of Birmingham.”

McCarron takes over for head coach Skip Holtz and has a high bar to reach. Holtz led Birmingham to the last three UFL titles before retiring.

His replacement was in the mix for the Alabama Lieutenant Governor role, but McCarron decided to jump back into football instead.

McCarron appeared in 19 NFL regular season games for the Bengals, Raiders and Texans. He also played for the Bills. The Bengals picked him in the fifth-round (164th overall) in the 2014 NFL Draft.

McCarron served as Andy Dalton's backup for the majority of his career.

Check out video of McCarron as their new head coach below:

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Published | Modified
Russ Heltman
RUSSELL HELTMAN

Russ Heltman is a contributor for AllBearcats and AllBengals. He is the morning host and producer for 89.3 WMKV in Cincinnati, OH.  Russ can be found on Twitter: @RussHeltman11 or you can reach him by email at Heltmandm@yahoo.com.

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