The week’s most highly anticipated game featured the UFL’s top two teams, the Michigan Panthers and D.C. Defenders, battling it out. Although the Defenders entered the game with a superior 4-1 record, the 3-2 Panthers emerged with a commanding 38-14 victory.
The Panthers’ MVP-caliber quarterback, Bryce Perkins, accounted for three touchdowns (two passing and one rushing) in the Panthers’ 38-point total; the most points scored by any UFL team this season. Perkins completed 13 of 18 passes for 188 yards with two touchdowns and rushed for another 76 yards on nine carries with one touchdown.
Perkins’ stellar performance not only keeps the MVP conversation flowing, but it also earns him the title of the “UFL News Hub Player of the Week.”
After the game, Panthers head coach and UFL Coach of the Year, Mike Nolan, was full of praise for his quarterback, “Bryce Perkins played an outstanding football game,” referring to his performance as “lights out.”
However, just a week earlier, Nolan was still uncommitted as to his number one quarterback, continuing to rotate between Perkins (1,111 passing yards with eight touchdowns) and Danny Etling (118 passing yards.) After starting Etling a week ago and following a disappointing 32-27 loss to the St. Louis Battlehawks, Nolan named Perkins as the team’s starting quarterback for the remainder of the season.
In addition to his impressive passing stats, Perkins has also been outstanding on the ground, keeping pace with running backs Toa Taua and Nate McCrary with 233 yards and four touchdowns.
Although Defenders veteran quarterback Jordan Ta’amu leads the league in passing with 1,472 yards and 11 touchdowns, Perkins’ superior ground game and his mobility make him more of a scoring threat. Perkins credits his mobility to great genetics and family competition with two running backs in his family (his father and his brother).
Perkins, the former University of Virginia standout and LA Rams UDFA was part of the Rams 2022 Super Bowl winning team. As the 3rd string quarterback Perkins started his first NFL game following injuries to Matthew Stafford and John Wolford. Following an injury to Panthers quarterback E.J. Perry, Perkins made his UFL debut a year ago in Week 5. However, in his brief time with the team, he made quite the impression before an injury forced a premature end to his season.
Now, fully recovered, Perkins is back, the Panthers are leading the league with a 4-2 record and he is making a strong case for league MVP.
Honorable Mention: Keeping their playoff hopes alive, Birmingham Stallions quarterback Case Cookus passed for 166 yards with two touchdowns this weekend in an impressive 26-3 win over the San Antonio Brahmas. His performance earns him an Honorable Mention from the UFL News Hub this week.
Cookus entered the UFL as the lead quarterback for the Memphis Showboats a year ago with an outstanding resume. Considered one of the USFL’s top quarterbacks from his time with the Philadelphia Stars, Cookus fell from grace with the Showboats after a dismal season and a league-leading 20 sacks that contributed to a losing 2-8 record.
But once again, Stallions head coach Skip Holtz has re-established himself as the “Quarterback Whisperer, and re-ignited Cookus’ career. In three games, Cookus has 347 passing yards with four touchdowns and another 98 yards rushing on 11 carries.
Saturday, May 10th at 1:00 pm EDT, the 4-2 Michigan Panthers will travel to Choctaw Stadium in Texas to take on the 3-3 Arlington Renegades. The game will be broadcast on FOX. Tickets remain available.
On Sunday, May 11, 2025, at 11:00 am CDT, the 4-2 Birmingham Stallions will host the 3-3 Houston Roughnecks. The game will be played at Protective Stadium and will be broadcast on ABC. Tickets are available.
