Christian Hackenberg is probably the biggest name participating in the inaugural AAF season. Entering the season, a lot was made about a corrected throwing motion and renewed confidence for the former Penn State quarterback.

Instead, his AAF career is off to a… rocky, at best, start.

Hackenberg’s Memphis Express were blown out 26-0 by the Birmingham Iron in Week 1. He was benched for former Troy quarterback Brandon Silvers in the fourth quarter of that game, after a brutal outing.

Tonight, the Express trailed the Orlando Apollos at the half, and Hackenberg once again had failed to get the team on the board.

For the second time in three weeks, he was benched.

Christian Hackenberg threw two rough interceptions before the Memphis Express opted to give former LSU passer Zach Mettenberger a shot.

The second pick was particularly awful.

Christian Hackenberg opens, on the other hand, with a pick to Keith Reaser pic.twitter.com/qF1Q5fsUu6 — Arif Hasan (@ArifHasanNFL) February 24, 2019

Pick #2 for the @aafAPOLLOS defense in the first half! Terence Garvin takes it the other way pic.twitter.com/l8oA68uDGZ — PFF_AAF (@PFF_AAF) February 24, 2019

Mettenberger, who played three seasons in the NFL after being taken in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, looked much better, and nearly led the Express to a victory.

On today's episode of The Mett Show… pic.twitter.com/4KpL6faWcj — Memphis Express (@aafexpress) February 24, 2019

That was the first passing touchdown this season for the Express. Memphis fell 21-17, but may have found its answer at QB.

For those who were hoping to see Hackenberg relaunch his football career in the AAF, it doesn’t look promising.