Jordan Palmer has made a name for himself as one of the top private quarterback trainers in the industry, and now he's taken a corporate gig. The XFL has hired Palmer as director of quarterback development.
The XFL product will be only as good as its quarterbacks, so hiring Palmer is arguably the most important move the re-launched league will make.
“The most important position in football is the quarterback, arguably one of the hardest positions to play in all sports," XFL senior VP of player personnel Doug Whaley said in a press release. “Jordan works with some of the most recognizable young quarterbacks in the NFL – Joe Burrow and Josh Allen, among others – and it’ll be great to have his imprint on our players as they further advance their professional development. Jordan was also an early advocate for using technology for training and performance improvement, which aligns with our commitment to innovation. We are thrilled to have him as a crucial member of our football operations team.”
Without decent quarterback play, XFL game play will resemble 10U rec league baseball in a town where all the pitchers are playing select: unwatchable.
As described by the XFL press release, the deal sounds like a win-win for both sides.
The XFL will pay Palmer to train its quarterbacks from September through December, when Palmer's regular clientele is occupied playing football. Palmer will then train the XFL coaching staffs on how to train quarterbacks, so that during the XFL's spring season, he can go back to training the who's who of college and NFL passers.
The younger brother of 2002 Heisman winner Carson Palmer, Jordan played quarterback at UTEP and spent parts of eight seasons with a number of NFL teams before founding QB Summit.
“Jordan is one of the top quarterback consultants in the entire sport of football, helping QBs refine and strengthen their physical, mental, and emotional skills to reach their greatest potential. To have him as a consultant, coach, and role model for our athletes – and for him to share our holistic player development strategy – is a huge value add to our League,” said XFL president Russ Brandon. “Quarterbacks are an essential function of a team; their performance not only determines the outcome of a game, but their ability to play at a very high level is critical for us to engage fans and deliver a dynamic game of football. With Jordan’s leadership and expertise, we will help develop and empower the next generation of QBs.”
The XFL begins its third, first season on Feb. 18, 2023.