The Pittsburgh Maulers may be no more. New details of the USFL and XFL merger have been reported, though not confirmed, and they all indicate the Maulers will not be part of the 2024 league. According to John Vogel, only four USFL teams will be brought over as part of the merger: the Birmingham Stallions, Houston Gamblers, Memphis Showboats, and Michigan Panthers.
Mike Mitchell reports similar news, including that the new league will be dubbed the “UFL.”
It’s certainly worth noting the merged league has not made any official announcement. But every piece of information over the last several months has hinted that the Maulers would be frozen out and put on the chopping block. Mitchell does indicate the teams not part of the merger will be put on “pause mode,” a vague term but one that might mean the franchise could return in the future.
The looming negative against them is the lack of a true home stadium. In 2022, they played their home games at Tom Benson Stadium in Canton, Ohio. It made them a difficult draw, a Pittsburgh-named team playing in Ohio, and staying there wasn’t sustainable.
Originally formed in 1984, the Maulers returned as the USFL was revived for the 2022 season. But they quickly became the laughingstock of the league, finishing the year 1-9 and last in the North Division. If only that were the worst part. They quickly became known for releasing RB De’Veon Smith for allegedly asking for a slice of pizza in a disrespectful way, as captured by a documentary series covering the league. That account was disputed by the team and head coach Kirby Wilson, citing a history of issues with Smith, but it became a headline and running joke throughout the rest of the season.
The Maulers moved on from Wilson after one season and hired another ex-Steelers coach in Ray Horton. Their season got off to another poor start, beginning the year 1-4, and through eight games, sat at 2-6. But Pittsburgh won its final two games of the regular season and given the relatively small number of teams playing in the league, qualified for the playoffs at 4-6.
From there, the Maulers beat the Michigan Panthers in the first round of the playoffs to move onto the 2023 USFL Championship Game against the Birmingham Stallions. The Maulers’ run ended in a 28-12 loss to the Stallions as Birmingham QB Alex McGough threw four touchdowns passes against them. Former Steelers WR Deon Cain was on the receiving end of three of them.
Since the 2023 season ended, the Maulers’ Twitter account has stayed relatively quiet. As other USFL teams were plugging ticket sales, the team’s last post came on Nov. 23, wishing Maulers fans a Happy Thanksgiving.
Rumors of a merger between the USFL and XFL began earlier this year. On Sept. 28, the two leagues released statements announcing an intent to merge. For two months, additional details of the new-look league were shaky. Thursday, the Sports Business Journal reported the merger had been approved with the intent of debuting the new league on March 30. In a statement, the league said it would offer more information about the teams and format “in the coming weeks.” For the Maulers, that time could become official soon. And their time appears to be over.
