Pair of ex-Nebraska football QB1s face off while auditioning for NFL

As two former Nebraska football players try to make their respective NFL teams on Saturday, they just happened to face off against one another in a preseason contest. Interestingly enough, both former Huskers know a thing or two about competing against each other, it just used to be for a spot on the depth chart.

Adrian Martinez is trying to win a spot as a quarterback on the New York Jets. Meanwhile, Luke McCaffrey is trying to earn himself a spot on the Washington Commanders as a wide receiver. On Saturday afternoon, they showed their respective teams exactly what they can offer.

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Of the two, Martinez got the most playing time as he shared the spotlight with a quarterback he’s fighting with to land on the roster in Andrew Peasley. Meanwhile, it was a bit more out of McCaffrey’s hands how much action he saw, though he was able to make a statement.

Ex-Nebraska football stars compete for NFL spot

For the New York Jets, Martinez looked pretty good in his first shot at trying out for an NFL spot. He ended up completing 6-of-10 passes for 104 yards. That included a 37 yarder that was a heck of a throw that put the Jets in position to score a touchdown.

But of course, it was what he did on the ground that caught the most eyeballs. He aslo ran twice for 24 yards, including a 13 yard dash on 3rd and 7 that kept a New York drive going deep in its own territory.

Adrian Martinez makes most noise for Nebraska football

While Luke McCaffrey didn’t have a ton of highlights posted on social media, he did show that he can provide value to his new NFL team. 

The former Nebraska football quarterback, who has since transitioned to wide receiver, had 3 targets, 2 catches and 25 yards. His long of the day was a nice 19-yard snag. Both men can go home tonight knowing they did everything they could showing that they belong in the NFL.