Former Cleveland Browns receiver Antonio Callaway signs in XFL

The Cleveland Browns former 4th round draft pick Antonio Callaway had a rough start to his NFL career. However, he has recently been given a second shot at professional football.

John Dorsey and the Cleveland Browns took a chance on former Florida wide receiver Antonio Callaway with the 105th overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. Callaway showed flashes of being able to have a good NFL career, but things couldn’t pan out for the 23 year old wide receiver in Cleveland.

After a solid rookie season where he played in 16 games and saw 43 catches on 79 targets for 586 yards and five touchdowns, he saw a rapid decrease in his usage in 2019. He only played in four games for the Browns in 2019, catching 8 passes for 89 yards on 15 targets.

His short lived NFL career saw suspensions for drug use and had a run in with the Strongsville police before the 2019 NFL season. Adjusting to the NFL life seemed hard for Callaway, and after he got cut by the Browns, he was not signed by any other NFL team. He was suspended 10 games for substance abuse, and his suspension from the NFL should be up and he should be available to play in Week 4 in the 2020 NFL season.

During his suspension, he will be heading to play for the Tampa Bay Vipers in the XFL, according to the team’s twitter account.

Callaway will look to revive his professional football career back in Florida, the state in which he spent most of his life. Even though he is not from the Tampa area, he should feel more comfortable to succeed in the state he grew up in. If Callaway does well and shows the same flashes of talent he showed his rookie year in the NFL, he should find a home again shortly after the season in the NFL again.

With the Miami Dolphins going full rebuild mode and could use some offensive weapons to pair with their next franchise quarterback. The Jacksonville Jaguars always being in need of another wide receiver to compliment their young quarterback. He could even end up in Tampa Bay as their 3rd wide receiver and find a good role for himself there as a deep threat. There is a good chance he could find another home in the state of Florida, this time in the NFL, if his XFL career goes well.

Callaway is still very young, and has hopefully taken the experience from his time in Cleveland to improve himself and prepare himself for if he gets a second opportunity in the NFL. Him taking his talents to showcase himself in the XFL is a step in the right direction.

Chances to play football after college are slim, so football fans everywhere should be hoping he has matured and will make the most of the great opportunity he has been given by the Tampa Bay Vipers.