Former NFL 2nd-round pick Christian Hackenberg benched by AAF coach Mike Singletary
At one point in his Penn State career, quarterback Christian Hackenberg was considered a first-round NFL draft prospect.
Fast forward to 2019, and he’s hit a new professional low point. The No. 51 overall pick by the New York Jets in 2016 never threw an NFL pass and was last seen in the league on the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad in 2018.
Hackenberg benched in AAF
He recently signed with the Memphis Express of the upstart Alliance of American Football. But he lost his starting job there on Monday, when head coach Mike Singletary announced that former LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger will be the starter next week.
Hackenberg went 8–for–14 with 88 yards and two interceptions in the first half of Saturday’s 21-17 loss to the Orlando Apollos. Singletary replaced Hackenberg with Mettenberger with the Express trailing 9-0 at halftime.
Mettenberger wins job after big Sunday
″(Mettenberger’s) been through a lot and he’s been fighting every day to try and be the best he can be,” Singletary told reporters Monday. “He studies like crazy. He’s a leader.”
Mettenberger staged a rally that fell short with 120 yards and two touchdowns in the second half.
“The lift Zach gave the team last week, it was a great feeling,” Singletary said. “To see a young man go out and make plays and really change the momentum in the game. We just have to put a whole game together.”
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