The good news for quarterback A.J. McCarron is that he has an extra day of rest this week before the Battlehawks play their next game, Sunday at home.
The not-so-good news is that his status is unclear after he suffered a left ankle injury late in Saturday’s loss at Birmingham.
Coach Anthony Becht said McCarron is day to day because of an injury caused by a late and low hit at Birmingham that left him visibly hobbled at the time.
“We’ll see what it looks like each day and have a conversation,†Becht said. “At this point, he’s not ruled out because we got some information that will lead us to monitor him as we move forward.â€
The team’s other options at quarterback are Manny Wilkins, who played in college for Arizona State, and Brandon Silvers from Troy.
The Battlehawks are 5-2 and have built that record while dealing with numerous injuries to starting players, forcing Becht and his staff to make weekly adjustments.
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Through seven games, McCarron leads the United Football League with 14 touchdown passes and is second in passing yards (1,467). He has completed 66.7% of his passes.
“All three will get reps,†Becht said of the practice week. “We’re going to have to prepare for every angle. Last year, we had our backup play a game after an injury, and we got through that game and won against Vegas at home. We’ll see where we are and need to prepare accordingly. So it’s all hands on deck.â€
It could come down to a decision whether it’s safer to rest McCarron for a game instead of risking something worse with three games remaining in the regular season.
The Battlehawks have succeeded without several players among the best at their positions not only on the team but in the UFL.
Receiver Jahcour Pearson, the leading pass catcher in the XFL last season, missed the first three games because of a knee injury. Darrius Shepherd, last season’s special teams player of the year, has been hampered by an injury. The team won a game without two starting offensive linemen.
Most recently, linebacker Mike Rose missed the game at Birmingham, posing a major blow for the defense against the league’s leading offense.
“Mike worked out before the game,†Becht said. “That turf is a little tighter, harder. It was not conducive for guys with lower extremity injuries. Mentally, you want to make sure guys are ready. We want Mike on the field. He’s our quarterback on that side of the ball and can fix some of the mistakes we may make.â€
McCarron didn’t miss a snap at Birmingham and returned to play the final possession with a win 49 yards away. However, the Battlehawks were stopped on downs without posing much of a threat.
Silvers has the more recent experience in game action over Wilkins, should Becht need to adjust. Wilkins brings the more versatile skill set. There are advantages either way, Becht said.
Silvers played eight games last season for Houston with 13 touchdown passes and nine interceptions. Wilkins’ last significant playing time was in college, in 2018. He spent time with the Green Bay Packers in 2019.
“Manny has a unique skill set,†Becht said. “Clearly he has a lot of mobility but is a pocket passer first. He’s done good things in practice and gives our defense a good look (in practice). ... Brandon is going to stand in the pocket, read the defense and get the ball to the right guy 95% of the time.â€