Steven Montez: The June Jones Project?
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Steven Montez: The June Jones Project?

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With the XFL set to kick off just one week after the Super Bowl, anticipation is ramping up around who will be under center for all eight teams this spring. On September 2th, Mike Mitchell reported that eight quarterbacks were assigned to eight different teams in the XFL, including 25-year-old Steven Montez who was reportedly assigned to the Seattle Sea Dragons.

Early Career

Montez attended Del Valle High School in El Paso, Texas. During his high school career, Montez was a three-star prospect and threw for 6,512 passing yards and 86 touchdowns. As a senior, Montez held offers from Colorado, New Mexico State, Air Force, and UTEP. 

College Career

Steven Montez eventually chose to play collegiately at Colorado University, where he redshirted his freshman year before starting his last three seasons for the Buffaloes. Montez’s production at Colorado was fairly steady throughout his time, finishing his 45-game career with 9,710 yards, 63 touchdowns, and 33 interceptions. He also broke 45 school records during his tenure at CU.

Professional Career

Montez was signed to the Washington Football Team (Commanders) as an undrafted free agent immediately following the 2020 NFL draft. He began his NFL career on their practice squad after impressing in the preseason.

Montez was on Washington’s practice squad for the entire 2020 season, but was cut in August 2021 as a part of their first round of cuts. Luckily, he was able to latch on with the Detroit Lions practice squad shortly after being cut and remained on their practice squad throughout the 2021 season. Unfortunately, Montez was cut by Detroit after the 2021 season. Prior to signing with Seattle (XFL), he did not sign with any other team. 

See also

Standing at 6 ‘5 and 235 lbs, Steven Montez possesses all of the proper attributes and mechanics to potentially be the new face of the XFL. Plus, there cannot be a better situation for Montez to step into than with Seattle offensive coordinator, June Jones. In 2020, XFL fans had a front-row ticket to the Houston Roughnecks dominance which was led by former head coach June Jones and QB P.J. Walker (now Carolina Panthers), who was the front-runner for MVP until the league was halted. 

While Montez differs in size compared to PJ Walker, the two play similar styles, with the athleticism in Walker’s favor obviously. It will be interesting to see how Montez plays under OC June Jones’ run and shoot style of offense that made the Roughnecks so successful in 2020.

Montez hopes for similar success in the XFL, and will be a player that is closely monitored by local fans and media. As of now, it is impossible to determine whether Montez will be the week one starter or not. Nonetheless, Seattle made Steven Montez a priority this offseason. Which means he will undoubtedly compete for the starting quarterback job this winter.

Do you plan on watching the XFL in 2023? Let is know your thoughts down in the comments below or join the conversation on Discord.

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