This Coming Spring, The St. Louis Battlehawks Will Be Flying Home.

This feels different. The storylines leading up to the St. Louis Battlehawks’ season opener are new. It all feels fresh, and it feels good. 

We owe former quarterback AJ McCarron a great deal of gratitude for his efforts to bring St. Louis football back to prominence. McCarron played well, and battled through injuries to give us two successful, albeit unfulfilling, seasons. But the team felt like the time was right to move on to the next chapter of St. Louis football. A significant page has been turned.

While many fans in St. Louis will likely never root for the Los Angeles Rams, and while the bitterness towards Stan Kroenke will be everlasting, it is no longer the driving force for excitement around St. Louis football. We now have our own team, putting a exciting product on the field, with an unforgettable, electric atmosphere inside our dome.

With many key players from the 2024 roster returning, and the coaching staff remaining largely intact, consistency will prove invaluable. Who is the new piece of the puzzle? Enter quarterback Max Duggan. 

If you don’t know Duggan, he played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs, winning several national awards after being part of the team that made it to the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship game. He was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL draft. 

Duggan's accolades include becoming the first Horned Frog to be named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year since Trevone Boykin in 2014 and the first TCU player to win the Davey O'Brien Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. He would finish second in the Heisman voting, behind Caleb Williams from the USC Trojans. Not bad for a kid from Council Bluffs, Iowa. 

Fans will also notice improvements to The Dome at America’s Center. After negative feedback from TV viewers about the appearance of the dome turf, the authority who operates the stadium made several improvements, including state-of-the-art new turf and sparkling new lighting. The fan and player experience will be elevated to a new level.  

The 2024 Battlehawks came up short. But this year, the goal of a championship remains. With a loyal, passionate fanbase filling up the dome, coaching staff consistency, key returning players, and a hungry, young, talented quarterback with a lot to prove, the chances of success are as good as they have ever been. 

After the season opener at the Houston Roughnecks on March 28th at 7pm CT, the Battlehawks open at home on Sunday, April 6th at 5:30pm CT vs. the rival San Antonio Brahmas. 

Professional football in St. Louis is BACK. 

Ka-Kaw!