Wildcats Jace Whittaker and J.J. Taylor sign with NFL Practice squads

After signing as free agents following successful collegiate careers, former Wildcats Jace Whittaker and J.J. Taylor sign with NFL Practice squads.

It has surely been a busy off-season for former Wildcats Jace Whittaker and J.J. Taylor especially as the two signed with the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots respectively back in April.

Despite not getting drafted back in April, there was still hope that two could make rosters spots this year. However, as we all found out on Saturday, that indeed won’t be the case.

Arizona Wildcats

Making news, was that Whittaker and Taylor were cut by their teams, which is a rather unfortunate circumstance.

In a year that has been greatly affected by Covid, unfortunately for the both of them, there wasn’t a preseason, which meant no chance for them to compete and showcase their value to their respective organizations outside of practice.

Luckily for them, their road doesn’t stop there. No, in fact, both Whittaker and Taylor were able to sign practice squad deals with their teams, which is at least a bit of a silver lining. Also, Nick Folk was able to sign with a practice squad.

Now it’s important to note that the road from here is certainly daunting. Unfortunately there are not many players who have gone on to succeed in the NFL after signing to practice squads.

However, I do know that your chances of success are higher when you at least get the opportunity, versus when you don’t.

While the news is unfortunate, there is still at least some hope. Nonetheless, the trend seems to continue for the Wildcats who apparently are struggling to have a greater impact on the NFL.

Now granted the Wildcats have seen some success, particularly with players like Rob Gronkowski, Lance Briggs, Tedy Bruschi, etc. but their recent success has diminished significantly. Hopefully Taylor and Whittaker can find success.

At Zona Zealots, we’re hoping that J.J. and Jace can find success. As always, Bear Down, Arizona!