XFL hype train goes full steam ahead with Chiefs Super Bowl winner expressing desire to suit up in Dwayne Johnson's league

The NFL has played its last snap in six months, but the XFL is just beginning. The Football League appears to be making noise in the sports world, as fans and even Super Bowl players are expressing interest. Taking to Twitter, Super Bowl winner Khalen Saunders envisioned himself swapping positions and dropping weight to join the league. Here's how he put it:

If the XFL is still around when i get done playing in the NFL, I’m losing 50 lbs and going to play Tailback for the hometown team. Lmao gon be like Steven Jackson 2.0 twitter.com/xflbattlehawks…

"If the XFL is still around when i get done playing in the NFL, I’m losing 50 lbs and going to play Tailback for the hometown team. Lmao gon be like Steven Jackson 2.0"

Of course, having a two-time Super Bowl winner in any franchise would be a win for the sport's survival. That said, to get him, the defensive tackle challenged the franchise to survive long enough to outlast his playing career in the NFL. At 26 years old, the league may need to survive at least another half-decade to see him suit up in pads.

Will the XFL survive into 2024?

XFL receives healthy viewership in the inaugural week

St Louis Battlehawks head coach meets San Antonio Brahmas head coach

Many would agree that Week 1 was a great start for the newest spring football league. According to ESPN PR, the sport earned 235.6 million video views online across ESPN and other sources. The game also saw more than a million people tune in live over the airwaves via ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and FX.

Of course, the biggest struggle in past iterations of the sport was keeping interest high over the course of an entire season. For example, the AAF saw strong Week 1 performances but ultimately failed to finish its first season. Will the XFL have stronger legs?

The next several weeks could serve as a strong indication. As teams get eliminated from contention and their fan bases tune out, will enough people remain to support the season?

Audio, access & action!

ESPN's #XFL2023 kickoff weekend cross-platform audience highlights

🏈 235.6M video views | ESPN XFL highlights across ESPN, @XFL2023 & league ownership social
🏈 4-games, 1.3M avg. viewers across ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes & FX

🔗 bit.ly/41lSenS https://t.co/Kr0eZryDyv

If the league can maintain or even grow its viewership over the course of the season, fans believe it could become a yearly slice of dessert after a three-course NFL season.