The last draft pick Tom Telesco made as general manager of the LA Chargers was, fittingly, one of his most confusing. With the No. 239 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Chargers selected TCU quarterback Max Duggan despite already having a backup quarterback on the roster.
Duggan did not make the 53-man roster but was kept around on the practice squad and eventually was elevated when Justin Herbert suffered a season-ending finger injury. The TCU quarterback never played an NFL snap, though, as he was waived by Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz prior to the 2024 season.
No other team brought Duggan in and he instead turned to the UFL. The St. Louis Battlehawks signed Duggan to be the team's backup quarterback and were forced to elevate him to the starting role when Manny Wilkins suffered a season-ending injury.
Miraculously, the Battlehawks' season completely turned around from that point on. St. Louis has the best record in the UFL and at the time of writing this, is riding a five-game win streak. The Battlehawks have not lost a game with Duggan starting under center.
Former Chargers QB Max Duggan is miraculously undefeated in the UFL
Yes, this is the same Max Duggan who Chargers fans watched struggle immensely in the preseason. Somehow, some way, he is undefeated since taking over starting duties, even beating fellow Chargers quarterback Luis Perez head-to-head.
It's not like Duggan has been all that impressive in his five starts, either. The former Chargers quarterback has completed 63 of 110 passes (57.3%) for 696 yards with four passing touchdowns and four interceptions.
It's not his arm that is winning games for the Battlehawks, though. It's his legs. Duggan has 300 rushing yards on 59 carries (5.08 yards per carry) for five touchdowns. Despite only starting five games, Duggan ranks sixth in the UFL in total points scored this season.
Should the Chargers be concerned that they let a good backup quarterback walk in favor of trading for Taylor Heinicke and signing Trey Lance? Absolutely not. The level of competition in the UFL is much lower and even then, Duggan isn't impressing outside of his natural athleticism at the quarterback position.
The Chargers made the right decision to let Duggan walk and have a much better backup quarterback situation as a result. Heck, even with all the massive concerns around his game, Trey Lance still has a much higher ceiling as a backup than Duggan does.
The real mistake, still, was drafting a UFL-caliber quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft. Late-seventh-round picks have a very small hit rate, sure, but the Chargers could have at least added depth in a position of need.