Factory Of Sadness
FanSided

Ranking all of the ex-Cleveland Browns in the XFL currently

By Chad Porto

PITTSBURGH - DECEMBER 28: Quarterback Bruce Gradkowski #7 of the Cleveland Browns looks to pass the ball during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 28, 2008 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH - DECEMBER 28: Quarterback Bruce Gradkowski #7 of the Cleveland Browns looks to pass the ball during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 28, 2008 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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MIAMI, FLORIDA – JANUARY 30: Former NFL player Bruce Gradkowski speak onstage during day 2 of SiriusXM at Super Bowl LIV on January 30, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM )
MIAMI, FLORIDA – JANUARY 30: Former NFL player Bruce Gradkowski speak onstage during day 2 of SiriusXM at Super Bowl LIV on January 30, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM ) /

2. OC Bruce Gradkowski, St. Louis BattleHawks

Former Cleveland Browns and Toledo Rockets quarterback, Bruce Gradkowski is not suiting up for the St. Louis BattleHawks this season but instead taking the reigns as their offensive coordinator. Gradkowski was an NFL player for about a decade, as he had stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, St. Louis Rams, Oakland Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He was arguably the last of the great MAC-era quarterbacks that featured Chad Pennington, Byron Leftwich, Josh Cribbs, Omar Jacobs, and of course, most unfortunately, Ben Roethlisberger. The MAC hasn’t seen that much talent at quarterback since Gradkowski capped off their run.

After the NFL he started coaching high school football, first with Anthony Wayne High School as their Volunteer assistant quarterbacks coach, and then at St Francis de Sales school in Toledo, Ohio.

Now he’s the offensive coordinator with the BattleHawks and has A.J. McCarron as their quarterback, a man that many Browns fans will know all too well. Now in St. Louis, the duo had one of the best opening weekends of the league, coming back from a hole of 15-3 in the final three minutes, to win 18-15 in the waning moments’ thanks to McCarron. He went 11-13 in the fourth quarter alone and tagged Hakeem Butler for a touchdown, and then hit Austin Phroel for the three-point conversation, and an eventual touchdown to win the game.

If this was Gradkowski’s debut, I can’t wait to see what he has in store throughout the season.

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