NFL Veteran Eric Weddle Slams Michigan QB Bryce Underwood: 'I Don't Think He Could Throw'

After starring for Kyle Whittingham at Utah, the former All-Pro safety didn't bite his tongue talking about Whittingham's new QB.

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Former NFL Pro Bowl safety enjoyed a good collegiate career at Utah under head coach Kyle Whittingham. After earning an All-American selection in 2006, Weddle became a second-round draft pick in 2007 and played 14 seasons in the NFL. Weddle was one of the best defensive backs during his time, and he knew what it took to play against elite quarterbacks.

And while Weddle was dangerous on the football field, his choice of wording might be quite poor. Recently, Weddle appeared on the Zero 2 Sixty Podcast and for whatever reason, let Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood have it.

Weddle's son, Gaige, is a two-way playmaker in the 2028 class and the Wolverines have been recruiting him. He plays both quarterback and safety, and Weddle took a visit with his son to Ann Arbor. And apparently, Weddle didn't like what he saw from the rising sophomore quarterback — expecting Tommy Carr or Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi to play soon.

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“And mark my words, I was out there for spring ball. Don’t be surprised if the backup [is] playing early because that Underwood kid, you know, I don’t think he could throw or play quarterback, so we’ll see,” Weddle said.

It might be safe to say Weddle saw Underwood utilizing his legs quite a bit when he saw the former five-star in action. Once he was done talking about 'how bad' Underwood was, Weddle went on a tangent talking about how quarterbacks need to be taught to play from the pocket. They are quarterbacks first, who can be an athlete.

“I don’t understand. I don’t understand like it’s just quarterbacks in general, but I don’t understand how the position is not being taught like from the pocket. Like I try to teach — coach Gaige. You are a quarterback first who can be an athlete," said Weddle. "You’re not an athlete who plays quarterback — you get to the next level. Everyone’s as fast as you, everyone’s as strong as you, like your mind, processing, pocket awareness, feel, and getting the ball out on time is what I’ve stressed to him most, as a quarterback.”

A very bold statement

It's safe to say Underwood didn't have the true freshman season that many expected him to have. Underwood dealt with turnover issues, but his coaching also didn't align. He was left on an island in 2025 under Sherrone Moore, not having a true quarterback coach.

Heading into 2026, Whittingham brought over Koy Detmer Jr., who was the Utes' quarterbacks coach to help guide Underwood. The coaching staff, and others, have noted how much Underwood has progressed this fall — while Jason Beck will allow him to use his legs as a weapon.

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And for Weddle, he saw Underwood live one time in a practice. To go on a national podcast and say all of that? Very bold, to say the least. Weddle also said he saw a lot of poor quarterback play during his time visiting different schools with his son. He said Gaige could be the backup, or fight for a starting job, at several different schools.

It's clear Underwood will need a good 2026 season to get the monkey off his back, but comments like these are just absurd given the context.