MADRID (AP) 鈥� Former NFL quarterback Reid Sinnett has been going around Madrid in recent days helping to promote American football.
Often wearing a Miami Dolphins jersey, he has been going to events, speaking at fan zones and even showing Spaniards how to play and understand the game.
It鈥檚 all been part of the events ahead of the first regular-season NFL game in Spain on Sunday, when the will face the at Real Madrid’s .
Sinnett won鈥檛 be playing, but he will be among the football stars in the Spanish capital 鈥� at least in the eyes of local fans.
Sinnett never got to play a regular-season game with any of the NFL teams he was a part of, but the 28-year-old American did thrive with the in the European League of Football last season, breaking records and being named the MVP.
Sinnett threw for nearly 4,000 yards in 12 games. He had 50 touchdowns and four interceptions.
It made him a local football star, and may have given him a perfect ending to his career.
鈥淎s of now, I鈥檓 not planning on coming back. I don鈥檛 know that the season could have gone any better in terms of, you know, personally what I wanted to get out of football,鈥� he said. “The experience with the coaches and my teammates and everything. … So I think I鈥檓 ready to be done playing football and move on to what鈥檚 next for me in the next part of my life.鈥�
Sinnett spent time in the NFL with the Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals 鈥� he was signed in Cincinnati as one of the backups after Joe Burrow got injured in 2023. Sinnett’s first NFL stint was with the Buccaneers.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Friday he felt Sinnett 鈥渄id a great job in my brief time with him.”
鈥淥ne of the things with the quarterback position, it鈥檚 pretty difficult to have a chair on the team. There are a lot of good throwers out there, and a lot of times you only keep two quarterbacks on your roster,鈥� McDaniel said. 鈥淗e was one of the guys that you unfortunately have to let go when your rosters get closer to the regular season, but he did a great job for us and is fully capable of playing the quarterback position in the right situation.鈥�
Sinnett went undrafted in the 2020 NFL draft after being mostly a backup at the University of San Diego, where he only started in his final year. He later spent time with the San Antonio Brahmas in the XFL and the Houston Roughnecks in the UFL.
“I had always kind of known that I wanted to play in Europe, just because I hadn鈥檛 gotten a ton of opportunities to play,鈥� he said. 鈥淎lthough I was on NFL teams, I wasn鈥檛 the starter. I was around and stuff like that, but it wasn鈥檛 me getting to contribute. So being able to play for a team like that was going to be that opportunity to contribute. It felt like that before I was ready to be done playing, I was going to go do that, and it worked out.鈥�
Sinnett didn鈥檛 have many expectations when he decided to join the Bravos in the ELF. He said it was never about trying to get back to the NFL.
鈥淔or me it was an experience to get to travel and experience new cultures and make new friends and have a unique experience on that front, and that鈥檚 definitely what it provided,鈥� Sinnett said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that it鈥檚 a stepping stone to play football at a high level for me. If it was, I鈥檝e got plenty of good relationships in the NFL, and guys that are hurt and struggling, and I鈥檓 not getting a lot of calls. So I think that鈥檚 a pretty good signal that the NFL has moved on from me, which I鈥檓 totally comfortable with.鈥�
Sinnett 鈥� who went to Johnston High School in Iowa 鈥� said American football in Europe remains on a 鈥渢otally different level鈥� compared to the NFL.
鈥淟ike, I was a third-string quarterback with few opportunities (in the NFL), and statistically I had the best season that a quarterback has had in Europe,” he said. “So it鈥檚 a totally different level, and I don鈥檛 mean that with any disrespect to the European guys, but it鈥檚 not the stepping stones.鈥�
The opportunity to play for the Bravos came through former Buccaneers teammate Ryan Griffin, who initially wanted Sinnett to join the Skorpions Varese in the Italian Football League.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 the right time of the year, it wasn鈥檛 the right amount of money, and I was kind of like, 鈥業 don鈥檛 think I want to do this,鈥欌�� Sinnett said. 鈥淎nd then he called me after I said 鈥榥o鈥� and he said, 鈥楲ook, I have one more opportunity for you. If you say no, I鈥檓 going to come to your house and I鈥檓 going to punch you in the face.鈥� And I was like, 鈥楢ll right, sounds good, it鈥檚 a pretty good selling point.鈥欌��
Going forward, Sinnett plans to focus on his business 鈥� the Rising Tide Quarterback Academy 鈥� where he works with young players to teach them the game. He said he also sees 鈥渁 huge opportunity for growth and teaching football internationally.鈥�
鈥淚 would love to be a part of that,” he said. “And it鈥檚 part of why I鈥檓 coming back to Madrid this week, to share those experiences and hopefully grow the game through this Dolphins-Commanders game.”
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