Michigan Panthers (2022) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Michigan Panthers |
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 Current season |
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| Basic info | |||||||||||
| Established | November 22, 2021 | ||||||||||
| Stadium | Ford Field Detroit, Michigan |
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| Colors | Royal plum, champagne silver, light blue |
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| Mascot | Pablo | ||||||||||
| Personnel | |||||||||||
| Owner(s) | Fox Corporation (50%), Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, RedBird Capital Partners (50%) | ||||||||||
| General manager | Steve Kazor | ||||||||||
| Head coach | Mike Nolan | ||||||||||
| Team history | |||||||||||
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| Home fields | |||||||||||
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| League / conference affiliations | |||||||||||
| United States Football League (2022–2023) United Football League (2024–present)
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| Championships | |||||||||||
| League championships: 0 |
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Conference championships: 1
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| Division championships: 0 | |||||||||||
| Playoff appearances (3) | |||||||||||
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The Michigan Panthers are a professional American football team from Detroit, Michigan. They play in the United Football League (UFL). The team is part of the USFL Conference. Famous actor Dwayne Johnson's company, Alpha Acquico, and Fox Corporation own and run the team. The Panthers play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit. This stadium is also home to the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL).
Contents
Team History
The Michigan Panthers were one of eight teams created for the new USFL. This was announced on November 22, 2021. On January 27, 2022, Jeff Fisher, a former NFL coach, became the Panthers' first head coach and general manager.
First Seasons (2022-2023)
The Panthers chose quarterback Shea Patterson as their first pick in the 2022 USFL draft. In their first two games of 2022, they lost to the Houston Gamblers and New Jersey Generals. On May 1, 2022, the team won its first game. They beat the Pittsburgh Maulers 24–0. After that, they lost more games. Their only other win that season was also against the Maulers.
In October 2022, Steve Kazor became the Panthers' general manager. For the 2022 season, all USFL teams played in Birmingham, Alabama. But in 2023, the Panthers moved to Michigan. They announced Ford Field as their new home stadium. On February 3, 2023, Mike Nolan replaced Jeff Fisher as head coach.
Joining the UFL (2024-Present)
In September 2023, news came out that the XFL and USFL leagues might merge. On September 28, 2023, the leagues officially announced their plan to merge. They said more details would come later. The new league would be called the United Football League (UFL).
On November 30, 2023, the merger was approved. The first combined UFL season began on March 30, 2024. The merger became official on December 31, 2023. The Michigan Panthers are now a key team in the UFL.
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Team Roster and Staff
The Panthers have many talented players and coaches.
Current Players
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
Roster updated March 23, 2024 50 active, 2 reserve(s) |
Coaching Staff
Here are some of the main coaches for the Michigan Panthers:
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Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
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Player Achievements
Panthers in the NFL
Some players from the Michigan Panthers have gone on to play in the National Football League (NFL).
| 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 |
| 2023–2025 | OT | Ryan Nelson | Los Angeles Chargers |
Award-Winning Players
The Panthers have had players win important awards in their league.
Offensive Player of the Year
| Year | Player | Position | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Bryce Perkins | QB | UFL |
Defensive Player of the Year
| Year | Player | Position | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Frank Ginda | LB | USFL |
| 2024 | Breeland Speaks | DE | UFL |
Special Teams Player of the Year
| Year | Player | Position | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Kedrick Whitehead Jr. | S | UFL |
Team Records
Here are some of the all-time leaders for the Michigan Panthers in different categories:
| Leader | Player | Record | Years with Panthers |
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| 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
The quarterbacks who have started games for the Panthers:
Regular Season Starters
As of July 17, 2025
| Season(s) | Quarterback(s) | Notes | Ref |
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| 2022 | Shea Patterson (0–5) / Paxton Lynch (2–1) / Josh Love (0–2) | ||
| 2023 | Josh Love (3–6) / E.J. Perry (1–0) | ||
| 2024 | Danny Etling (3–1) / E.J. Perry (2–2) / Brian Lewerke (2–0) | ||
| 2025 | Bryce Perkins (4–2) / Danny Etling (2–1) / Rocky Lombardi (0–1) |
Playoff Starters
| Season(s) | Quarterback(s) | Notes | Ref |
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| 2023 | E.J. Perry (0–1) | ||
| 2024 | Danny Etling (0–1) | ||
| 2025 | Bryce Perkins (1–1) |
Most Games Started
| Name | Period | GP | GS | W | L | Pct |
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| 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 |
Season by Season Overview
This table shows how the Michigan Panthers have performed each season.
| 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. | ||
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| 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) |
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| 2025 | 2025 | UFL | USFL | 2nd * | 6 | 4 | Won USFL Conference Championship (at Stallions) 44–29 Lost UFL Championship (Defenders) 34–58 |
Bryce Perkins (MVP) | |||
| Total | 19 | 21 | All-time regular season record (2022–2025) | .475 | |||||||
| 1 | 3 | All-time postseason record (2022–2025) | .250 | ||||||||
| 20 | 24 | All-time regular season and postseason record (2022–2025) | .455 | ||||||||
Team Rivalries
The Michigan Panthers have played against many teams. Some of these games have become rivalries.
Northern Duel
The Panthers used to have a rivalry with the New Jersey Generals. This was called the Northern Duel. The Panthers had a 1–3 record against the Generals over two seasons. This rivalry ended when the New Jersey Generals team was no longer active after the 2023 season.
Matchup History
Here's how the Panthers have done against other teams:
| 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 |
- Teams that are no longer active are shown in light gray.
