Memphis Showboats QB Released, Replaced by Former Michigan Panthers Signal Caller
UFL teams still have about two weeks to finalize their rosters before the season starts. The Memphis Showboats will use that time to continue sorting out their quarterback situation behind Case Cookus.
That got a lot more interesting when the team released Cole Kelley on Tuesday. James Larsen reported shortly after that news broke that the Showboats are signing former Michigan Panthers starter Josh Love.
Kelley started eight of the nine games he played with Memphis last season, throwing for 1,534 yards and seven touchdowns to eight interceptions while adding 119 rushing yards and two more scores.
The United Football League has announced the following transactions: pic.twitter.com/AtNENzh69q
— UFL Communications Department (@UFL_PR) March 12, 2024
Before his pro career, Kelley played college at Arkansas and Southeastern Louisiana. He was a star at Southeastern Louisiana in 2021, finishing with 5,124 yards and 44 touchdowns.
Love started in nine games for the Panthers last season, throwing for 1,556 yards and 13 touchdowns to 10 picks. In 2022, he played for the Panthers and the Pittsburgh Maulers and finished the year with 791 yards and four touchdowns to four interceptions.
At San Jose State, Love threw for 7,206 yards and 43 touchdowns to 29 interceptions. He started 26 of the 41 games he played with the Spartans.
Cookus is still the favorite to win the job, but Love provides the Showboats with a solid backup quarterback with more playing experience. It’s a matter of how quickly he can learn the offense before training camp ends to win the backup job.
Final roster cutdowns for the UFL will be on March 23 when teams need 50 players.
Memphis Showboats Set 58-Man Roster, Cuts Include Former All-USFL DB
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Anthony Miller has been covering professional spring football since 2019 including XFL, USFL, and CFL. He was a local news reporter in Texas before transitioning to sports. Other sites he writes for includes College Football Network and NTZ Network.