Ex-Cowboys QB explores career options, eyes $15,000,000 franchise formerly owned by Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnson made headlines last year when he purchased the Seattle Sea Dragons with a partner from Vince McMahon. Now, former Dallas Cowboys QB Ben DiNucci has floated the idea of purchasing the franchise, along with a partner, and reinstalling it in the UFL next season.
Seattle was one of the first eight teams to be inducted into the XFL and was pioneered by the former CEO of WWE. In 2023, The Rock, along with Danny Garcia, purchased the Seattle Sea Dragons as joint owners for $15 million, as reported by CBS Sports. Now, Ben DiNucci wants his hands on the franchise.
Importantly, between DiNucci's two stints within the NFL, first with the Cowboys (2020-21) and then with the Broncos (2023). DiNucci was also employed by Dwayne Johnson as the QB for the Sea Dragons. After the merger of XFL and USFL to form the USL, the Sea Dragons were dropped from the prospective teams.
However, DiNucci, the seventh-round pick from the 2020 NFL Draft, hopes to revive the team and bring it back in front of its supporters in the UFL. The QB took to X (formerly Twitter) to let his wishes be known to the world. He wrote:
“Asking for a friend. What would it cost to buy @XFLSeaDragons and bring them back next year? @TheUFL I’m trying to be owner, president, coach, and QB.”
DiNucci might have been joking about taking up all the responsibilities, but after being let go from the Broncos roster earlier this year and not having secured employment elsewhere, he might be considering a career change away from the NFL.
Why were the Sea Dragons owned by Dwayne Johnson dropped from the UFL?
After the merger was finalized on 1st January 2024, the UFL had 16 teams on its hands and decided to shorten the games by dropping eight teams from the new combined season. With Dwayne Johnson becoming a part owner of the UFL, his team was amongst the eight that were discarded.
As per Fox Sports, the UFL wants to focus not only on the Midwestern and Southern states but also to reduce the travel costs for the newly ordained league. These were the primary reasons for doing away with the Seattle Sea Dragons and seven other franchises.