The NFL Championship is over for another season and we now have a seven-month wait until the NFL games return to our screens.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t any NFL events to stay on top of or any football throughout the summer. Let’s break down the big-ticket items to keep American football fans satisfied until September.

XFL

The XFL season starts on Saturday 19th February, and is an eight-team American football league owned by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Originally created in 2001 by WWE chairman Vince McMahon, the XFL was born as an alternative to the NFL and to keep football fans satisfied through the springtime.

It eventually folded after one season but was resurrected in 2020, only for the season to be cancelled halfway through due to Covid-19.

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XFL fans will be hoping that the third time is the charm as the league returns with a number of familiar names being involved, including Josh Gordon, AJ McCarron and Paxton Lynch.

Some of the participating teams include the Vegas Vipers, Arlington Renegades, San Antonio Brahmas and Seattle Sea Dragons.

USFL

Much like the XFL, the USFL is another alternative American football league that will run from 15th April to 2nd July.

It had been a popular league in the 1980s and made its return last year. Although its results were mixed, largely because all games took place in Birmingham, Alabama which limited fan participation, the league is back for another season.

Football is football, and there will be plenty of games to enjoy each weekend.

NFL Draft

The NFL Draft is always one of the highlights of the year and typically takes place across the last weekend of April. This year, the draft will be taking place in Kansas City from 27th-29th April.

The NFL Draft is when the best players in college football are selected by NFL teams to come play for them, and is where all fans of struggling teams dream of finding the next superstar that could help guide them to the top of the mountain.

You’ll hear plenty of talk over the next couple of months about which college players will be going in the early rounds and which teams are linked with who. The draft is a great spectacle and one of the most exciting weekends in the NFL calendar.

NFL pre-season

We’ll also have the NFL pre-season to whet our appetites for the real thing.

Pre-season runs throughout August and gives football fans the chance to see new players in action and also get a first glimpse at the rookies their teams have drafted.

Although they’re basically friendlies, some teams take pre-season very seriously. A great example of that is the Baltimore Ravens, who have won 23 pre-season games in a row and have not lost since 2015.

The Ravens are 28/1 To Win The 2023/24 NFL Championship.