In one of the biggest roster moves ahead of the UFL season, the Memphis Showboats acquired quarterback E.J. Perry, who was just released by the Michigan Panthers.
Unexpected Quarterback Move Shakes Up UFL
The Showboats were rumored to be pursuing former St. Louis Battlehawks quarterback AJ McCarron. Instead, in a surprise move most did not see coming, the Showboats snatched up Perry. Despite trading for San Antonio Brahmas quarterback Quinten Dormady last fall and re-signing backup Troy Williams to the roster, head coach Ken Whisenhunt wasted no time grabbing Perry.
While Michigan’s sudden release of Perry was unexpected it makes sense. The Panthers had four quarterbacks on their roster Bryce Perkins, Perry, Danny Etling, and Rocky Lombardi. Perkins was signed as a mid-season replacement last year for Perry. Both have a similar skill set with an ability to make big plays with their legs.
Perry-Making An Impact In The UFL
Following a strong USFL 2023 performance, Perry won the Panthers starting quarterback assignment a year ago. He has the talent and potential to be an impact player for the Showboats. Signed to the team late in the 2023 season, Perry came on to engineer an impressive 14-point comeback for the Panthers that secured the team a playoff berth.
Off to a great start in the UFL last year, Perry had his best game in week 3 against the Houston Roughnecks tossing 16/19 for 208 yards including a 66-yard touchdown bomb to Marcus Simms. Later in the game, Perry added another 60 rushing yards and two rushing TDs.
Sadly, one week later, Perry’s season was cut short when he was sidelined with a serious hamstring injury. But Perry brings mobility to the Showboats’ offense in addition to his arm strength. Before his injury, he totaled 152 rushing yards and four scores.
Perry-Early Flashes of Brilliance
A graduate of Brown University star, Perry won the Bushnell Cup in 2021 as the top Ivy League offensive player. His impressive college stats included 3,033 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, 402 rushing yards, and another seven rushing touchdowns. However, despite earning the highest overall athletic score in the NFL Combine, Perry wasn’t selected in the 2022 draft. Instead, Perry rode the NFL carousel of being signed, released, and repeatedly re-signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans. Throughout all the ups and downs, Perry continued to find success with the Michigan Panthers who released him each time an NFL opportunity arose.
Will Showboats Adopt Two Quarterback System?
Unlike the NFL where there’s a defined hierarchy of starting and backup quarterbacks, the UFL frequently employs a two-quarterback system. Skip Holtz, the winning coach of the multi-year Championship Birmingham Stallions found great success rotating his two top quarterbacks. Last year, Holtz flipped back and forth between starters Adrian Martinez and Matt Corrall, taking advantage of their different skill sets. Holtz will likely employ a similar strategy this year with returning USFL Championship quarterback Alex McGough and Corrall.
Whisenhunt and his coaching staff now have three experienced UFL quarterback options in play. While Dormady and Williams began the season on the bench, both were called upon to lead their teams when the starting quarterback went down with injury. Although Dormady started more UFL games, Williams led the 2023 USFL Pittsburgh Maulers to a Championship title. Newly reunited with a trio of former Maulers assistant coaches, Williams is looking to re-create the Maulers magic in Memphis. Now, with Perry added to the mix, it should be an interesting quarterback training camp.
Main Image: David Reginek – USA Today Sports
