Bryce Perkins is back in the NFL. The 2025 UFL MVP has signed with the Carolina Panthers after Andy Dalton suffered a preseason shoulder injury. This return sets up a chance for Perkins to take the field against the Pittsburgh Steelers this week. For Carolina, it’s a depth move. For the UFL, it’s another example of the league proving it’s filled with talent ready to make a move.
Perkins’ path is familiar for quarterbacks on the fringe. He signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2020, but his chance didn’t come until 2022. He played in five games and made one start. The numbers —161 passing yards, one touchdown, two interceptions — weren’t enough to compete in the NFL. Following the 2022 NFL season, he was out of the league and searching for a way back to the field.
That door opened in Michigan in 2024. Perkins signed with the Michigan Panthers and quickly became one of the UFL’s most dynamic quarterbacks. In seven regular-season games he threw for 1,342 yards, nine touchdowns, and five interceptions, completing 69% of his passes. He added 311 rushing yards and six scores during nine total games in 2025, showing off the dual-threat ability. When the postseason came, he raised his play again, piling up 576 yards and five touchdowns while leading Michigan to the UFL Championship game.
That run earned him MVP honors, but more importantly it gave him relevance again in NFL circles. Carolina saw enough to bring him in as insurance heading into the season and he will have the opportunity to compete alongside Bryce Young, Andy Dalton, and Jack Plummer.
Not an Isolated Case
Perkins isn’t the only UFL standout making the jump. Offensive tackle Gunner Britto and guard Keaton Sutherland signed with the Lions this summer, joining a growing list of players using the spring season to keep their careers alive. None carried the spotlight that Perkins did as the league’s MVP, but their moves highlight the same point: UFL film matters to NFL decision-makers.
The UFL has been building toward this type of credibility. It’s not just a landing spot for players trying to stay in shape — it’s a league where game reps’ matter and where success translates. Perkins is the latest, and perhaps the most high-profile, reminder of that.
Michigan will feel the loss of its MVP, but his departure reinforces the fact that the UFL is full of talent that can compete in the NFL. The league isn’t competing with the NFL; it’s feeding it. And for players like Perkins, it can turn what once looked like the end of a career into the start of another chance — once again.
