Veteran quarterback Bryce Perkins is the reigning UFL MVP, but recently… decided to sign with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. instead of returning to the US Spring League. There were many reasons for his decision, but none was more important than stability.
“I love the UFL and what they do in giving guys the opportunity to play,” Perkins said. 3DownNation This week. “I was basically at the end of my wait to get into the NFL. I wanted to continue to play and have a career, and there were a lot of changes going on in the UFL. The Michigan Panthers, the team I played for, left—the coaches left, the general manager left, so I wanted to have a little more stability and continue to play at a high level.”
The Chandler, Arizona native completed 69.0 percent of his passes for 1,342 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions against Michigan earlier this year, posting a 4-2 record as a regular-season starter. He also rushed 47 times for 269 yards and five scores, showcasing the dual-threat ability that has been a hallmark of his game since college.
Perkins has many ties to CFLs, which also helped tip the balance in its favor. He attended high school with longtime Montreal Alouettes defenseman Wesley Sutton and attended the University of Virginia with Wesley Sutton. Edmonton Elks defensive lineman Noah Taylor, Elliot Brown, former CFL player turned NFL playerand Toronto Argonauts receiver Dejon Brissett.
The soon-to-be 29-year-old also trained with Winnipeg quarterback Chris Streveler as they both live in Arizona during the offseason. His relationship with Streveler led Perkins to take notice of the Blue Bombers long before he signed with the team.
“(Streveler) said, 'Man, you're going to love it (in Winnipeg),” Perkins said. “(Watching him) I was able to see what was going on this season with Winnipeg and see how much passion there was. I started to become a little more open to the idea (of moving to the CFL). That's what you love about football, it's the people you're with and the community you play for.”
Perkins clearly prepared well for the Blue Bombers. He knows the team just sold out the entire season and recently won five Gray Cups in a row. Although Perkins currently does not have a textbook for him to learn – Winnipeg is actively looking for a new offensive coordinator. — he was already watching games on his iPad to learn the intricacies of the Canadian game.
The six-foot-two, 215-pound passer also has a family connection to the CFL through his father, Bruce, who played three seasons as a defensive back for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Memphis Mad Dogs. One of his fellow rookies in Steeltown in 1993 was Mike O'Shea, who is now, of course, Winnipeg's longtime head coach.
“When the opportunity came up, I asked my dad what he thought about it,” Perkins said. “He was like, ‘That’s a good ball, man. It’s fun, it’s a different game, but they love their football.” When you think about playing, that’s what you want to play for.”
Perkins began his professional career with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020 and spent three years with the team as an undrafted free agent, earning a Super Bowl ring in the process. He enjoyed the opportunity to learn from head coach and offensive guru Sean McVay as well as two-time Pro Bowl selection Matthew Stafford.
“A lot of my time coming out of college wasn't necessarily about being a pro offense or understanding how best to put myself in a position to be successful on the field. Most of my time in L.A. was learning how to prepare, learning how to be a professional, learning how to communicate with guys,” Perkins said.
“A lot of it is putting yourself in the best position before the snap to be able to be successful after the snap. Learning how to learn and prepare from Matthew Stafford, who's been doing it for so long, definitely helped me after my time in Los Angeles when I went to the UFL and even today in how I see the game, how I approach the game. It was definitely an honor and a privilege to witness that.”
Given his size and athleticism, it stands to reason that Perkins has a good chance of becoming Winnipeg's short-yardage back in 2026. Streveler has filled this role for two seasons since returning from the NFL, although it is unlikely that he will be re-signed given that he re-torn the cruciate ligament in his left knee in the last week of October.
“Especially in your first year, learning the offense and learning different styles of play, it's an honor no matter what role you're asked to play in. You understand how to do whatever it takes to help the team be successful,” Perkins said.
“Being able to do whatever it takes to be part of a winning formula is a blessing. (Winnipeg and I) haven't talked about necessarily playing a short-term role yet, but I'm definitely willing to do whatever I can while learning, getting my feet wet and understanding the nuances of the game.”
Perkins signed a two-year contract with the Blue Bombers that keeps him with the team until 2027. His goal is to become a starter in the CFL, but he doesn't have a timeline for realizing that specific aspiration. In the meantime, he'll look to learn from the team's coaching staff (whoever ends up running the offense) as well as franchise quarterback Zach Collaros, who recently received a vote of confidence from general manager Kyle Walters.
“I've got a lot of balls in front of me and I feel like I can have a great career in the CFL, be a great starter and help the team get to where they want to be. As far as timing goes, who knows? You'd like to say it'll happen here or it'll happen there, but I want to be able to do what I can do, what's asked, and then continue to build on my strengths and be ready when my time comes,” Perkins said.
“One of the things I've learned from playing is how quickly your time can be called upon. You can have all these plans for what it's going to look like and when you want to get there, but you never know when it's going to happen. You have to be ready when you get called upon, so that's kind of my goal – learn as much as I can when I can – and when my number is called, go out there and try to do the best I can.”
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The Winnipeg Blue Bombers finished fourth in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 10–8 record, qualifying for the playoffs as a crossover team before losing in the East semi-finals to the Montreal Alouettes. Zach Collaros threw for 3,048 yards, 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 13 regular-season games while going 6-7 as a starter.
The Blue Bombers ranked fifth in net offense, third in net defense and eighth with a minus-eleven turnover margin. The club's leading rusher was Brady Oliveira with 1,163 yards, the leading receiver was Nick Demski with 1,001 yards, and the leading tackler was Tony Jones with 104 tackles. Winnipeg ranked first in attendance with an average attendance of 32,343, up 3.7 per cent from the previous year.
