Matt Corral is back in professional football.
The 25-year-old quarterback recently signed with the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League, according to a Tuesday report from UFL insider James Larsen. The Stallions, who are the defending UFL champions, will begin their season Saturday, March 30, against the Arlington Renegades.
Following a stellar career at Ole Miss, Corral was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. But injuries wiped out his rookie season, and he was waived last August following his second NFL training camp.
That’s when things got weird.
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Corral was claimed by the New England Patriots, who needed a new backup quarterback after releasing Baily Zappe, who landed on the practice squad. But Zappe was re-signed to the 53-man roster a day before the season opener, with Corral landing on the rarely used exempt/left-squad list after reportedly leaving the Patriots without notice. New England wasn’t able to find Corral for multiple days.
Corral was released nine days later, seemingly ending his time with the Patriots. However, New England reportedly hoped to bring him back on the practice squad, and Corral even returned to the team’s facility with intentions of re-signing. But he reportedly had a “change of heart,” leading to confusing announcements on the NFL’s transaction wire.
Corral ultimately remained a free agent for the rest of the 2023 NFL season. He now has a chance to resurrect his once-promising professional career.
Featured image via Jim Dedmon/USA TODAY Sports Images
