The St. Louis Battlehawks are a professional American football team based in St. Louis. The Battlehawks compete in the United Football League (UFL). The team was a founding member of the XFL. The Battlehawks were founded by Vince McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment and is owned and operated by a consortium led by Mike Repole. The Battlehawks play their home games at The Dome at America's Center. The team has a franchise regular season record of 31–14 as of the 2026 season.
History McMahon era (2020) On December 5, 2018, St. Louis was announced as one of eight cities that would join the newly reformed XFL, as well as Seattle, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, DC, Tampa Bay, and Dallas. On April 18, 2019, the team hired Jonathan Hayes, who most recently was tight ends coach for the Cincinnati Bengals, as their first head coach. Hayes is an alumnus of the University of Iowa. The team name and logo were revealed on August 21, 2019, as well as the team’s uniforms on December 3, 2019.
On October 15, 2019, The Battlehawks announced their first player in team history, being assigned former Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Jordan Ta'amu.
The Battlehawks won their first game in team history on February 8, 2020, defeating the Dallas Renegades 15–9. On March 12, 2020, The XFL announced that the remainder of the 2020 XFL season had been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team finished with a 3–2 record. On April 10, 2020, The XFL suspended operations, with all employees, players and staff terminated.
Johnson and Garcia era (2023–present)
On August 3, 2020, it was reported that a consortium led by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Gerry Cardinale (through Cardinale's fund RedBird Capital Partners) purchased the XFL for $15 million just hours before an auction could take place; the purchase received court approval on August 7, 2020. The XFL hired Anthony Becht as a Head Coach on April 13, 2022, with the expectation that he would be coaching the St. Louis team. On July 24, 2022, the return of a St. Louis XFL franchise was confirmed, as well as the hiring of Anthony Becht. On October 31, 2022, the XFL officially announced that the Battlehawks name would be returning, with the logo having slight alterations.
The Battlehawks finished tied for second place in their division in the 2023 regular season with the Seattle Sea Dragons with a 7–3 record. The Sea Dragons were granted the playoff position after several rounds of tiebreakers (and the lack of any wild card, at-large or crossover process, which ensured the eventual champion Arlington Renegades, three games behind St. Louis in overall league standings, got into the playoffs instead). In an offseason showcase in St. Louis, league president Russ Brandon indicated that the Battlehawks would continue in St. Louis "obviously [...] for the very long haul." United States Football League president Daryl Johnston noted that St. Louis would be an ideal team to keep in a merger with the league he presided over, not only for its strong fan support (which he noted was far above and beyond any in the USFL) but because of its central location, making travel expenses affordable.
In September 2023, Axios reported that the XFL was in advanced talks with the USFL to merge the two leagues prior to the start of their 2024 seasons. On September 28, 2023, the XFL and USFL announced their intent to merge with details surrounding the merger to be announced at a later date. The merger would also require regulatory approval. In October 2023 the XFL filed a trademark application for the name "United Football League". On November 30, 2023, Garcia announced via her Instagram page that the leagues had received regulatory approval for the merger and were finalizing plans for a "combined season" to begin March 30, 2024. The merger was made official on December 31, 2023.
Current roster
Players
Staff St. Louis Battlehawks staffHead coach Head coach – Ricky Proehl
Offensive coaches
Offensive coordinator – A. J. Smith Running backs – John Estes Wide receivers – Austin Proehl Offensive line – Todd Washington Defensive coaches
Defensive coordinator – Corey Chamblin Defensive line – Jeff Zgonina Linebackers – Will Reed Special teams – Frank Gansz Jr.
Player history
Current NFL players SeasonPosNameNFL team2023DTLaCale LondonAtlanta Falcons2024KAndre SzmytCleveland Browns2024–2025RBJacob SaylorsDetroit Lions2025DTKyler BaughPittsburgh Steelers2025CBNick WhitesideDetroit Lions2026CBSean Fresch Jr.Denver Broncos2023–2026WRGary Jennings Jr.Los Angeles Chargers
Notable players SeasonPosNameNotes2020RBMatt JonesFormer Washington Redskins Running Back, 2015 3rd Round Pick2020RBChristine MichaelFormer Seattle Seahawks Running Back, 2013 2nd Round Pick2020PMarquette KingFormer Oakland Raiders Punter2023–2024QBA. J. McCarronFormer Cincinnati Bengals Quarter Back, 2014 5th Round pick2024RBWayne GallmanFormer New York Giants Running Back, 2017 4th Round Pick2025WRAndy IsabellaFormer Arizona Cardinals Wide Receiver, 2019 2nd Round Pick2025WRDenzel MimsFormer New York Jets Wide Receiver, 2020 2nd Round Pick2025LBKemoko TurayFormer Indianapolis Colts Linebacker, 2018 2nd Round Pick2025KRodrigo BlankenshipFormer Georgia Bulldogs and Indianapolis Colts Kicker
Offensive Player of the Year award winners Battlehawks XFL/UFL OPOY winnersYearPlayerPositionSelector2024Hakeem ButlerWRUFL2026Hakeem ButlerWRUFL
Defensive Player of the Year award winners Battlehawks XFL/UFL DPOY winnersYearPlayerPositionSelector2025Pita TaumoepenuLBUFL
Special Teams Player of the Year award winners Battlehawks XFL/UFL STPOY winnersYearPlayerPositionSelector2023Darrius ShepherdWRXFL2024Chris GarrettLBUFL
Coach history
Head coach history #NameTermRegular seasonPlayoffsAwardsGCWLWin %GCWLSt. Louis Battlehawks1Jonathan Hayes2020532.600 – – –2Anthony Becht2023–202530228.733 2 0 23Ricky Proehl2026–present1064.600101
Offensive coordinator history #NameTermRegular seasonPlayoffsAwardsGCWLWin %GCWLSt. Louis Battlehawks1Doug Meacham2020 – – – – – – –2Chuck Long2020532.600 – – –3Bruce Gradkowski2023–202420146.7001014Phil McGeoghan20251082.8001015A. J. Smith2026–present1064.600101
Defensive coordinator history #NameTermRegular seasonPlayoffsAwardsGCWLWin %GCWLSt. Louis Battlehawks1Jay Hayes2020532.600 – – –2Donnie Abraham2023–202530228.7332023Corey Chamblin2026–present1064.600101
Rivalries DC Defenders The Battlehawks have a rivalry against the DC Defenders. The Defenders have won three of the four matchups between the two teams, every game except for one has been decided by one possession and has determined who is the top team in the division at that point in the season.
At the end of their first meeting of the 2023 season, three players were ejected after a brawl broke out. A week later, the Battlehawks' quarterback, A. J. McCarron, called their competition the "first XFL rivalry."
Birmingham Stallions With the merger of the XFL and USFL, the Battlehawks and Birmingham Stallions emerged as rivals, both because each had reached the top of their division at the time of their Week 7 meeting in the 2024 UFL season and because both of the Battlehawks' quarterbacks, Alabama alumnus McCarron and Troy alumnus Brandon Silvers, played college and high school football in the state of Alabama. The 2024 matchup between the Stallions and Battlehawks remains the highest-attended matchup in Birmingham for which attendance figures had been made public. Further adding heat to the rivalry, McCarron accepted the head coaching position with the Stallions after a somewhat acrimonious departure from St. Louis. The matchups between Birmingham and St. Louis were among the highest viewed on television of all UFL regular season contests.
Franchise matchup history +TeamRecordPct.Birmingham Stallions2–1Columbus Aviators1–0Dallas Renegades4–4DC Defenders4–6Houston Gamblers3–1Houston Roughnecks (XFL)1–1Louisville Kings1–1Memphis Showboats2–0Michigan Panthers1–1Orlando Guardians2–0Orlando Storm1–0San Antonio Brahmas5–1Seattle Sea Dragons2–1Vegas Vipers2–0
Defunct teams in light gray.
Season-by-season record
UFL champions (2024–present)XFL champions (2023)Conference championsDivision championsWild Card berth
SeasonTeamLeagueConferenceDivisionRegular seasonPostseason resultsAwardsHead coachesPct.Finish20202020XFLEast2nd32Season Suspended after 5 games due to COVID-19Jonathan Hayes2021 —202220232023XFLNorth3rd73 Darrius Shepherd (STPOY)Anthony Becht20242024UFLXFL1st73Lost XFL Conference Championship (Brahmas) 15–25Hakeem Butler (OPOY)Chris Garrett (STPOY)20252025UFLXFL1st82Lost XFL Conference Championship (Defenders) 18–3620262026UFL2nd64Lost Semifinals (Kings) 20–29Ricky ProehlTotal3114All-time regular season record (2020–2026)03All-time postseason record (2020–2026)3117All-time regular season and postseason record (2020–2026)
Records All-time Battlehawks leadersLeader PlayerRecord Years with Battlehawks Passing yards A. J. McCarron 3,732 passing yards 2023–2024 Passing Touchdowns A. J. McCarron 34 passing touchdowns 2023–2024 Rushing yards Jacob Saylors 960 rushing yards 2024–2025 Rushing Touchdowns Jacob Saylors 10 rushing touchdowns 2024–2025 Receiving yards Hakeem Butler 2,192 receiving yards 2023–present Receiving Touchdowns Hakeem Butler 20 receiving touchdowns 2023–present Receptions Hakeem Butler 138 receptions 2023–present Tackles Willie Harvey Jr. 196 tackles 2023–2025 Sacks Pita Taumoepenu 18 sacks 2024–present Interceptions Brandon Sebastian 5 interceptions 2023–2025Coaching wins Anthony Becht 22 wins 2023–2025
Starting quarterbacks
Regular season – As of June 9, 2026 Season(s) Quarterback(s) Notes Ref 2020 Jordan Ta'amu (3–2) 2021–2022 Suspended operations 2023 A. J. McCarron (6–3) / Nick Tiano (1–0) 2024 A. J. McCarron (6–2) / Manny Wilkins (1–1) 2025 Max Duggan (5–0) / Manny Wilkins (2–2) / Brandon Silvers (1–0) 2026 Brandon Silvers (2–1) / Harrison Frost (2–1) / Luis Perez (2–2) Postseason Season(s) Quarterback(s) Notes Ref 2024 A. J. McCarron (0–1) 2025 Max Duggan (0–1) 2026 Luis Perez (0–1)
Most games as starting quarterback Name Period 2023–2024 17 17 12 5 2023–2025 9 6 3 3 2025 8 5 5 0 2024–2026 6 4 3 1 2020 5 5 3 2 2026 4 4 2 2 2026 4 3 2 1 2023 4 1 1 0
Attendance XFL/UFL Attendance RecordsYearWeekTeamAttendance20242St. Louis Battlehawks40,31720234St. Louis Battlehawks38,31020235St. Louis Battlehawks35,86820238St. Louis Battlehawks35,167202410St. Louis Battlehawks34,37920239St. Louis Battlehawks33,142202310St. Louis Battlehawks33,03420246St. Louis Battlehawks32,96920248St. Louis Battlehawks32,40320252St. Louis Battlehawks32,115
Year-by-year Season Head Coach League Avg. Crowd Home Record 2020 Jonathan HayesXFL 28,541 2–0 2023Anthony Becht 35,104 3–2 2024UFL 34,365 5–0 2025 29,537 5–1 2026 Ricky Proehl 23,239 3–2
Market overview