The Birmingham Stallions have been taking blow after blow early in the USFL season. Starting Quarterback J’Mar Smith is now ruled out for the rest of the year with a finger injury suffered in week one.
We have transferred QB J’Mar Smith to the Injured Reserve List.
Wishing @jMar_Smith a speedy recovery and we can't wait to see you back out on the field stronger than ever ❤️🐎 pic.twitter.com/v9JPjCiLI0
— Birmingham Stallions (@USFLStallions) April 20, 2023
This is not ideal timing for the Stallions. They opened up their season 1-0 with a dominant victory over the New Jersey Generals, with Smith playing a key role in that win until he got injured.
He finished that game with the following numbers: 10/15, 160 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. Unfortunately, this is the only game we will see Smith play in this USFL season.
J'Mar Smith is back! How about this 61 yard dime to Austin Watkins to kick off the @USFLStallions season?@jMar_Smith has one of the best moonballs in the entire #USFL. That was on full display here. An absolute beauty. pic.twitter.com/T9gCrOF2bo
— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) April 16, 2023
J’Mar Smith helped lead the Birmingham Stallions to a Championship victory last season. Skip Holtz is obviously very high on J’Mar, as the two spent time together at Louisiana Tech years ago.
The chemistry was evident in 2022, as J’Mar was one of the top signal callers in the entire league. His leadership, style of play, and joyful attitude provided a spark to Birmingham throughout the season.
Now, the team will have to figure out how to move forward without him on the roster.
Alex McGough: Tried & True
Luckily for Skip Holtz, he has a very capable QB in the likes of Alex McGough. Interestingly enough, Alex was the starter in 2022, before he got injured and J’Mar eventually took over.
Now, McGough will be the official starter, likely for the rest of the season. He came into the game for Smith against New Jersey, and was brilliant. His first pass was a dart to the end zone to Jace Sternberger, to put Birmingham in front.
TOUCHDOWN! 🙌
Alex McGough connects with @_Jstern to give us a 17-10 lead shortly before the half! #GiddyUp pic.twitter.com/nwS2OdthpS
— Birmingham Stallions (@USFLStallions) April 16, 2023
McGough also has sneaky athleticism. He’s faster than one would think, showcasing his speed on a wild score in the late third quarter.
MCGOUGH SAID GIDDY UP 🐎
That's another TD 🙌 pic.twitter.com/GRGfUycdMH
— Birmingham Stallions (@USFLStallions) April 16, 2023
With Alex at the helm, Birmingham is in excellent hands. Heck, McGough helped the Stallions win the Championship last season, when Smith went down again in Canton. No doubt, this team is still capable of going all the way with McGough.
Injury Issues
It’s been a rough go for Birmingham when it comes to injuries. Linebacker Scooby Wright suffered an injury in week one, and his current status is questionable.
Meanwhile, WR Marlon Williams tore his achilles, and is officially done for the year as well. Seeing Marlon go down is not the sight anyone wanted to see. After a spectacular 2022 season, he was poised to be WR1 for Skip Holtz in 2023.
We're with you, guys ♥️@TheReall__6 and @TwoStarScoob pic.twitter.com/lC3VFnNttV
— Birmingham Stallions (@USFLStallions) April 16, 2023
Hopefully, we won’t see any more injuries like these in the coming weeks. Birmingham still has plenty of talent on the roster, but will look to maintain chemistry with their key pieces from 2022.
Final Thoughts
Clearly, this news is not what many of us expected to hear at this hour. J’Mar Smith is a staple figure in Birmingham, and the USFL. He will certainly be missed, and we wish him a speedy and healthy recovery.
In the meantime, fans can take a breath – knowing that Alex McGough can keep this train on the right track.
"It doesn't matter who's in we know that each other's going to succeed."
Brock Huard chatted with @McgoughAlex after his TD pass 👏 pic.twitter.com/rFIG5sOlKE
— USFL (@USFL) April 16, 2023
Birmingham will face off against the Memphis Showboats this Saturday night, at 7pm ET on FOX.
What are your thoughts on this injury to J’Mar Smith? How does this affect the Birmingham Stallions USFL championship aspirations? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
