By Shawn Stewart
On Friday, the UFL announced that that wide receiver Marcus Simms had re-signed with the Michigan Panthers.
This will be Simms’ third season with the Panthers.
Marcus Simms, began his football career at West Virginia University. Simms played 33 games in college. He totaled 87 receptions for 1,457 yards and eight touchdowns. Simms was also known for his return abilities, having returned 41 kicks for 992 yards and 23 punts for 157 yards.
After going undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft, Simms signed a three-year, $1.775 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars on July 11, 2019. However, Simms’ NFL career faced immediate setbacks when a concussion led to his waiver/injury later that year. The Jaguars placed Simms on the injured reserve list and eventually waived him on November 22, 2019.
Following his time with the Jaguars, Simms played for the Michigan Panthers in the USFL/UFL in the spring of 2023 and 2024, making an impression with 23 catches for 426 yards and three touchdowns.
Simms’ performance in the UFL drew interest from NFL teams. Simms signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Seahawks in July 2024, hoping to resume his NFL career. Unfortunately, his tenure was cut short due to an undisclosed injury; he was waived/injured by the Seahawks on August 7, 2024, and after clearing waivers, reverted to the injured reserve list, missing the entire 2024 season.