The XFL has announced a partnership with the NFL that will create innovative programs and protect athletes’ health and safety.

The partnership will see the NFL and XFL work on mental and physical health for athletes, with talks being held in the future on development of the sport, scouting, live gameplay data and experimentation of new rules.

XFL president, Russ Brandon, told ESPN the league will be a ‘petri dish’ for the NFL.

Commenting on how the XFL can impact American football, XFL co-owner and chairwoman, Dany Garcia, told ESPN: “We are bringing forward an XFL that is progressive and forward-thinking when it comes to innovation, leveraging the newest technology to enhance gameday experience.”

“We have an open field for innovative rules to enhance in-game access, sharing insights and practices between the XFL and NFL will do a tremendous amount of good for the game of football and support the player ecosystem overall,” she said.

Garcia also said the league will not become a developmental league for the NFL, where players can be shared between teams.

“We are a spring league,” Garcia said.

“There is not the anticipation of any player sharing that changes the dynamic.

“That’s not how we’re executing our vision,” she said.

After its relaunch in 2018, the league filed for bankruptcy due to the effects of COVID-19, forcing Vince McMahon to sell.

The XFL was then purchased for US$15 million by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Garcia and private equity firm, RedBird Capital, in late 2020, with the next season due to start in 2023.