Michigan Panthers (2022)
| Michigan Panthers | |
|---|---|
 Current season | |
| Established November 22, 2021 Play in Ford Field (Detroit, Michigan) | |
 | |
| League/conference affiliations | |
United States Football League (2022–2023)
United Football League (2024–present)
| |
Current uniform | |
.svg) | |
| Team colors | Royal plum, champagne silver, light blue |
| Mascot | Pablo |
| Personnel | |
| Owner(s) | Fox Corporation (50%), Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, RedBird Capital Partners (50%) |
| Head coach | Mike Nolan |
| Team history | |
| |
| Championships | |
| League championships (0) | |
Conference championships (1)
| |
| Division championships (0) | |
| Playoff appearances (3) | |
| Home stadium(s) | |
| |
The Michigan Panthers are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. The Panthers compete in the United Football League (UFL) as a member of the USFL Conference. The team is owned and operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The team plays its home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit, which also hosts the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL).[1]
History
[edit]The Michigan Panthers were one of eight teams that were officially announced as a USFL franchise on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on November 22, 2021.[2] On January 27, 2022, it was announced on The Herd with Colin Cowherd that former NFL head coach Jeff Fisher was named the head coach and general manager of the Panthers.[3]
The Panthers selected Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson with the first overall pick in the 2022 USFL draft.[4] In the first two games of 2022, the Panthers lost to the Houston Gamblers and New Jersey Generals.[5][6] On May 1, 2022, the team won their first ever game with a 24–0 win at Protective Stadium against the Pittsburgh Maulers.[7] Losses resumed after that, the Panthers' only other win of the season was against the Maulers, a 33–21 with the winner assuming the rights to the first overall pick in the 2023 USFL draft.[8]
In October, 2022, the Panthers hired Steve Kazor as general manager.[9] After all eight USFL teams played their home games in Birmingham, Alabama, the Panthers moved to the state of Michigan in 2023, announcing Ford Field as their home stadium.[10] On February 3, 2023, the USFL announced that Fisher had been replaced as head coach by Mike Nolan, citing only "personal reasons."[11]
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In September 2023, Axios reported that the XFL was in advanced talks with the USFL to merge the two leagues prior to the start of their 2024 seasons.[12] On September 28, 2023, the XFL and USFL announced their intent to merge with details surrounding the merger to be announced at a later date.[13] The merger would also require regulatory approval.[14] In October 2023 the XFL filed a trademark application for the name "United Football League".[15] On November 30, 2023, Garcia announced via her Instagram page that the leagues had received regulatory approval for the merger and were finalizing plans for a "combined season" to begin March 30, 2024.[16] The merger was made official on December 31, 2023.[17]
Current roster
[edit]Players
[edit]Quarterbacks (QB)
Running backs (RB)
Wide receivers (WR)
Tight ends (TE)
|
Offensive linemen (OL)
Defensive linemen (DL)
|
Linebackers (LB)
Defensive backs (DB)
|
Reserve lists
Roster updated June 10, 2025 50 active, 7 reserve(s) |
Staff
[edit]|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
|
Player history
[edit]Current NFL players
[edit]| Season | Pos | Name | NFL team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | CB | Josh Butler | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2023 | WR | D. J. Montgomery | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2024 | K | Jake Bates | Detroit Lions |
| 2024 | CB | Nate Brooks | Cincinnati Bengals |
Notable players
[edit]| Season | Pos | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | DT | Robert Nkemdiche | Former Arizona Cardinals Defensive Tackle, 2016 1st Round Pick |
| 2023–present | DE | Breeland Speaks | Former Kansas City Chiefs Defensive End, 2018 2nd Round Pick |
Offensive Player of the Year award winners
[edit]| Year | Player | Position | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Bryce Perkins | QB | UFL |
Defensive Player of the Year award winners
[edit]| Year | Player | Position | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Frank Ginda | LB | USFL |
| 2024 | Breeland Speaks | DE | UFL |
Special Teams Player of the Year award winners
[edit]| Year | Player | Position | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Kedrick Whitehead Jr. | S | UFL |
Coach history
[edit]Head coach history
[edit]| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| Michigan Panthers | ||||||||||
| 1 | Jeff Fisher | 2022 | 10 | 2 | 8 | .200 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | Mike Nolan | 2023–present | 30 | 17 | 13 | .586 | 3 | 1 | 2 | *UFL Coach of the Year (2024) |
Offensive coordinator history
[edit]| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| Michigan Panthers | ||||||||||
| 1 | Eric Marty | 2022-2023 | 20 | 6 | 14 | .300 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2 | Marcel Bellefeuille | 2024–present | 20 | 13 | 7 | .650 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
Defensive coordinator history
[edit]| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| Michigan Panthers | ||||||||||
| 1 | Daniel Carrell | 2022 | 10 | 2 | 8 | .200 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | Steve Brown | 2023 | 10 | 4 | 6 | .400 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2 | Collin Bauer | 2024–present | 20 | 13 | 7 | .650 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
Records
[edit]| Leader | Player | Record | Years with Panthers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | Josh Love | 1,907 passing yards | 2022–2023 |
| Passing Touchdowns | Josh Love | 15 passing touchdowns | 2022–2023 |
| Rushing | Reggie Corbin | 955 rushing yards | 2022–2023 |
| Rushing Touchdowns | Bryce Perkins | 7 rushing touchdowns | 2024-present |
| Receiving Yards | Siaosi Mariner | 873 receiving yards | 2024–present |
| Receiving Touchdowns | Cole Hikutini | 7 receiving touchdowns | 2023–present |
| Receptions | Joe Walker | 66 receptions | 2022–2023 |
| Tackles | Frank Ginda | 348 tackles | 2022–present |
| Sacks | Breeland Speaks | 18.5 sacks | 2023–present |
| Interceptions | Kai Nacua | 4 interceptions | 2023–present |
| Coaching wins | Mike Nolan | 17 wins | 2023–present |
Starting Quarterbacks
[edit]Regular season – As of June 9, 2025
| Season(s) | Quarterback(s) | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Shea Patterson (0–5) / Paxton Lynch (2–1) / Josh Love (0–2) | [18] | |
| 2023 | Josh Love (3–6) / E.J. Perry (1–0) | [19] | |
| 2024 | Danny Etling (3–1) / E.J. Perry (2–2) / Brian Lewerke (2–0) | [20] | |
| 2025 | Bryce Perkins (4–2) / Danny Etling (2–1) / Rocky Lombardi (0–1) | [21] |
Postseason
| Season(s) | Quarterback(s) | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | E.J. Perry (0–1) | [22] | |
| 2024 | Danny Etling (0–1) | [23] | |
| 2025 | Bryce Perkins (1–1) |
Most games as starting quarterback
| Name | Period | GP | GS | W | L | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Love | 2022–2023 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 8 | .273 |
| Danny Etling | 2024–2025 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 2 | .714 |
| Bryce Perkins | 2024–2025 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | .667 |
| E.J. Perry | 2023–2024 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | .600 |
| Shea Patterson | 2022 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 5 | .000 |
| Paxton Lynch | 2022 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | .667 |
| Brian Lewerke | 2024 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Rocky Lombardi | 2025 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
Statistics and records
[edit]Season by season record
[edit]| UFL champions† (2024–present) | USFL champions§ (2022–2023) | Conference champions* | Division champions^ | Wild Card berth# |
| Season | Team | League | Conference | Division | Regular season | Postseason results | Awards | Head coaches | Pct. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | W | L | |||||||||
| 2022 | 2022 | USFL | North | 3rd | 2 | 8 | Jeff Fisher | .200 | |||
| 2023 | 2023 | USFL | North | 2nd # | 4 | 6 | Lost Division Finals (at Maulers) 27–31 (OT) | Frank Ginda (DPOY) Ethan Westbrooks (SMOY) |
Mike Nolan | .567 | |
| 2024 | 2024 | UFL | USFL | 2nd # | 7 | 3 | Lost USFL Conference Championship (at Stallions) 18–31 | Mike Nolan (COTY) Breeland Speaks (DPOTY) | |||
| 2025 | 2025 | UFL | USFL | 2nd * | 6 | 4 | Won USFL Conference Championship (at Stallions) 44–29 UFL Championship (Defenders) |
Bryce Perkins (MVP) | |||
| Total | 19 | 21 | All-time regular season record (2022–2025) | .475 | |||||||
| 1 | 2 | All-time postseason record (2022–2025) | .333 | ||||||||
| 20 | 23 | All-time regular season and postseason record (2022–2025) | .465 | ||||||||
Rivalries
[edit]Northern Duel
[edit]The Michigan Panthers previously shared a rivalry with the New Jersey Generals.[24] This rivalry was called the Northern Duel. The Panthers finished with a 1–3 record against the New Jersey Generals in 2 seasons. After the 2023 season the rivalry was not renewed as the New Jersey Generals folded during the XFL–USFL merger of 2024.
Franchise matchup history
[edit]| Team | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|
| Arlington Renegades | 2–0 | 1.000 |
| DC Defenders | 2–1 | .667 |
| Memphis Showboats | 4–1 | .800 |
| Houston Gamblers/Roughnecks | 4-2 | .667 |
| St. Louis Battlehawks | 1–1 | .500 |
| San Antonio Brahmas | 1–1 | .500 |
| Philadelphia Stars | 2–2 | .500 |
| Pittsburgh Maulers | 2–3 | .400 |
| New Jersey Generals | 1–3 | .250 |
| Tampa Bay Bandits | 0–1 | .000 |
| New Orleans Breakers | 0–2 | .000 |
| Birmingham Stallions | 1–7 | .125 |
- Defunct teams in light gray.
References
[edit]- ^ Reisman, Jeremy (January 26, 2023). "USFL's Michigan Panthers will play at Ford Field in 2023". Pride Of Detroit.
- ^ "USFL unveils team cities, nicknames and logos for 2022 debut". FOX Sports. Archived from the original on January 3, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
- ^ "USFL 2022: Jeff Fisher, Larry Fedora named as final two coaches". Fox Sports. January 27, 2022. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ McMann, Aaron (February 25, 2022). "The USFL helps keep ex-Michigan QB Shea Patterson's dream alive". MLive.com. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
- ^ Ryan Ford (April 17, 2022). "Michigan Panthers lose 17-12 to Houston Gamblers: Game thread replay". www.freep.com. USA TODAY Network. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
- ^ Ryan Ford (April 22, 2022). "Michigan Panthers now 0-2 after 10-6 loss to the New Jersey Generals: Game thread replay". www.freep.com. USA TODAY Network. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
- ^ Madison Jones (May 1, 2022). "USFL Score, highlights: Michigan Panthers shutout Pittsburgh Maulers, 24-0, to win first game of the season". www.sports.nbcsports.com. NBC Universal. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
- ^ Jeff Kerr (June 19, 2022). "USFL Week 10 takeaways: Panthers earn first pick in 2023 draft by winning matchup of two worst teams". www.cbssports.com. CBS Sports Interactive. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
- ^ "USFL hires new general managers for two teams". FOX Sports. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ Tony Paul (January 24, 2023). "USFL's Michigan Panthers will play at Ford Field in 2023; EMU may host practices". www.detroitnews.com. The Detroit News. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ "USFL Michigan Panthers Head Coach Jeff Fisher stepping down ahead of 2023 season". FOX 2 Detroit. February 3, 2023. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
- ^ Baysinger, Tim; Primack, Dan; Fischer, Sara (September 19, 2023). "Scoop: Football leagues XFL and USFL in merger talks". Axios. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- ^ TSN ca Staff (September 28, 2023). "XFL, United States Football League announce intention to merge". TSN. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ^ Schad, Tom (September 28, 2023). "XFL, USFL confirm intention to merge into single spring football league". USA Today. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
- ^ "XFL files trademark applications for 'United Football League' and 'UFL'". San Antonio Express-News. October 18, 2023.
- ^ "We are pleased to have completed the antitrust review process in connection with the proposed merger of the XFL and USFL and intend to play a combined season this spring kicking off on Saturday, March 30. We are now finalizing terms of the definitive agreement and will share more about this new League in the coming weeks". Instagram.
- ^ "USFL, XFL announce merger, formation of new spring football league: The UFL". Yahoo Sports. December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ^ "2022 Michigan Panthers Stats". footballdb.com. May 18, 2025.
- ^ "2023 Michigan Panthers Stats". footballdb.com. May 18, 2025.
- ^ "2024 Michigan Panthers Stats". footballdb.com. May 18, 2025.
- ^ "2025 Michigan Panthers Stats". footballdb.com. May 18, 2025.
- ^ "2023 Postseason Michigan Panthers Stats". footballdb.com. May 18, 2025.
- ^ "2024 Postseason Michigan Panthers Stats". footballdb.com. May 18, 2025.
- ^ "USFL's divisional rivalries unveiled for every team". FOX Sports. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
