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No. Reigning XFL offensive player of the Year, Jordan Ta'amu has not played in the NFL.
The current D.C. Defenders shot caller spent time with the Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers but hasn't played an NFL game yet. However, with his heroics in the 2023 XFL season, it's only a matter of time before an NFL franchise decides to take a flier on his undeniable potential.
Ta'amu has been up and around the professional football leagues, appearing on NFL practice squads, in XFL games and on an USFL roster. He's a name you might be hearing a lot in a couple of years, so let's take a look at his story.
Jordan Ta'amu's College Football Career
Jordan Ta'amu started his college ball career with the New Mexico Military Institute, where he amassed a stat line of 3,014 yards and 32 touchdowns in his sophomore season. He represented the New Mexico Military Institute with distinction for two years before transferring to Ole Miss in 2017.
On joining Ole Miss, Jordan Ta'amu was the backup to QB1 Shea Patterson before taking over as the starter for the final five games after Patterson suffered an injury. That was the beginning of his spell as a starter for Ole Miss, and he did not disappoint for the rest of his college career.
Ta'amu closed out his college career with a fabulous 2018 stat line of 3,918 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also rushed for 342 yards and six touchdowns. To show you just how special Ta'amu's season was, he finished second in SEC passing yards behind Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa, who played in three more games.
Jordan Ta'amu's Professional Football Career
Ta'amu declared for the 2019 draft after a stellar final season in college. However, he went undrafted. He was subsequently signed by the Houston Texans on August 7, 2019, to be a part of their preseason squad. Unfortunately, he was released by the Texans on August 30, 2019.
Since then, Ta'amu has been on practice squads of NFL teams, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers, but he has yet to appear in an official NFL game.
He did make some professional starts for the USFL side, Tampa Bay Bandits, who drafted him into the USFL with the second pick of the 2022 USFL draft. He was impressive on the Bandits, leading the USFL in passing touchdowns with 14 and passing yards with 2,014.
He has been balling out in the XFL for the D.C Defenders, ending the 2023 XFL season with a stat line of 1,894 passing yards, 14 passing touchdowns and three interceptions. He also added 298 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns for good measure. He earned the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year Award for his efforts.
