55 days after former University of Alabama, NFL and XFL quarterback AJ McCarron announced he was entering the race for Lt. Governor, he is now leaving it, according to a report from 1819 News.

“With a double-digit lead in the polls and solid fundraising commitments lined up, I was eager to bring a fresh voice and new leadership to the Alabama State House, but football is calling my name once again,” McCarron said in a statement to 1819 News.

“My football position will require the same 100% focus, commitment and attention that I was prepared to give to the office of lieutenant governor, so it is time to end my campaign.”

McCarron’s campaign leaned into anti-establishment rhetoric from the jump, promising a war on the “Montgomery insiders and career politicians,” in his announcement video in late October.

Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.