Michigan’s season has hit a rough patch, and the Bryce Underwood conversation is only getting louder.
After Saturday’s loss to Minnesota, Michigan fell to 3-2 and absorbed a pair of milestones nobody in Ann Arbor wanted to see. It was the first time the Wolverines had lost to the Golden Gophers since 2014, and the first time they had gone down on the road in Minnesota since 1977. As the blame game starts, Underwood has become a central figure in the criticism on offense.
Michigan went all-in to flip the Detroit native after he had long been committed to LSU, and it worked. Two years later, though, the return on that push is looking shaky, especially with Underwood tied to a four-year, $12 million NIL deal.
He arrived with massive expectations, the kind that made him look like the answer to Michigan’s problems and the player who could lift the program back to the top. Instead, the early results have fans questioning whether he was ever really the No. 1 recruit in his class.
The frustration is now spilling into talk of a possible benching. Michigan has four-star true freshman Tommy Carr waiting behind him, but that creates its own mess. Underwood is making $3 million a year - about $250,000 per game, whether he plays or not - and that makes a switch far more complicated than a simple football decision.
The on-field concerns are real. Underwood’s footwork has been shaky, his reads have been slow, his decision-making has been suspect, and while the arm talent is there, the accuracy has not followed.
Against Minnesota, he also did not get much help from his offensive line. But that excuse does not cover the rest of his body of work, and even his better stretch against Iowa came with a costly mistake: an interception on the one-yard line after Michigan had reached the red zone and failed to finish the drive.
If the Wolverines do decide to turn to Carr, the financial side of this becomes impossible to ignore. The NCAA does not allow athletic performance contingency clauses in NIL contracts, which means Underwood can sit as a backup and still collect his money. That leaves Michigan in an awkward spot: benching a player on a huge deal while knowing he probably does not want to spend the year on the sideline.
There is also the transfer portal possibility at the end of the season, but that brings its own problem. Underwood would have to find a new school, and based on how he has played, it is hard to see another program matching what Michigan is paying him now. The deal itself is backed by the Champions Circle NIL collective, not Michigan directly, but the money is still coming from the Wolverines’ donor base.
And there does not appear to be an easy escape hatch. Michigan did not build a buyout into the contract, so the school cannot simply walk away from the arrangement.
If Underwood leaves through the portal, Michigan’s obligation ends and he would have to strike a new deal somewhere else. Until then, both sides are stuck.
With the bye week here, Michigan has major offensive decisions to sort through. The Underwood contract is part of the backdrop now, whether the program likes it or not, and the next move has to be about what gives the Wolverines the best chance to get back on track.
In Other News...
Saints Loss To Atlanta Came With An Even Bigger Alvin Kamara Concern
The Saints 38-17 loss to the Falcons brought a familiar kind of frustration, with New Orleans chasing the game after falling behind 24-7 by halftime and never really finding a rhythm on either side of the ball. Alvin Kamara was one of the few bright spots, scoring two touchdowns, but the offense still struggled to get much going on the ground as Atlanta leaned on Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr. to control the game with more than 150 rushing yards between them.
What made the defeat feel even heavier was Kamara leaving with a questionable knee injury. For a Saints offense already searching for answers in the run game, any concern about its most reliable weapon quickly becomes the bigger story, especially in a loss where the ground battle was so clearly tilted the other way. [Read more 🡒]
Saints First-Round WR Return Timeline Just Got More Complicated
Jordyn Tysons path back to the field has become a little clearer, and a little more complicated, for a Saints offense still waiting to see what its first-round wideout can add. Tyson has been working back from the hamstring injury he suffered in camp, and while he is making progress, the expectation now is that he is still weeks away from game action.
At the moment, the earliest realistic return appears to be Week 7, with Week 9 also in play because of scheduling considerations. That tracks with the original sense that Tyson would be sidelined for roughly two months, but it also leaves New Orleans in the familiar position of managing anticipation around a player drafted to make an immediate impact and still not quite ready to do it. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Fans Got Another Reason To Debate Tyler Shough
Tyler Shoughs first extended turn in the spotlight came in a game the Saints needed to settle into quickly, and instead they spent much of the afternoon chasing Atlanta. Shough finished 12 of 19 for 139 yards, but the bigger picture for New Orleans was the same old frustration, as the Saints were down 24-7 by halftime and never found enough rhythm to change the feel of the game.
The Falcons also kept control with Bijan Robinson piling up more than 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Atlantas Za'Darius Smith left with a head injury. Along the way, Troy Aikman even took a lighthearted shot at Shoughs seven years of college football experience on the broadcast, another little moment that only adds to the debate around what the rookie can realistically be for New Orleans right now. [Read more 🡒]