Former New York Giants linebacker Tae Crowder will return to football in 2025, officially signing with the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions.
Crowder, 27, was selected in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL draft at No. 255 overall. Since he was the final pick in the draft, Crowder was labeled “Mr. Irrelevant.”
In addition to his time with the Giants, Crowder also had stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Chargers, and Tennessee Titans before sitting out the 2024 season.
During his time with the Giants, Crowder created some controversy by tweeting “free me” in 2022. He later apologized to his coaches and teammates but was briefly released before being re-signed to the practice squad.
“I apologized to all my teammates just because I never want to cause anything to the program. I never want to be that guy to be a distraction. All my teammates know I’m not that type of guy,” he said at the time.
In 43 career games (31 starts), Crowder recorded 232 tackles (124 solo, nine for a loss), two forced fumbles, six QB hits, 2.0 sacks, eight passes defensed, and two interceptions.
With the Stallions, Crowder will reunite with former Giants assistant coach Anthony Blevins, who serves as Birmingham’s defensive assistant.