The Seattle Seahawks have a couple of open roster spots available just a week out from the start of training camp. It looks like one of those spots will go to another UFL player.
Former West Virginia wide receiver Marcus Simms has reportedly agreed to a deal with the Seahawks, according to Pro Football Network’s James Larsen. Simms has spent the past two seasons playing for the Michigan Panthers, both in the USFL and the current UFL (which merged several XFL and USFL teams into one league).
Simms earned All-UFL honors with 23 catches for 426 yards and 3 touchdowns over the eight-game regular season. Two of his touchdowns were over 60 yards.
You can tell the exact moment that the defender, despite being roughly even with Marcus Simms, knew this would end in a touchdown.pic.twitter.com/qg9CJ2SxcW
— Jason B. Hirschhorn (@by_JBH) April 7, 2024
Long touchdowns appear to be Simms’ thing, as he had a 72-yard score last season.
At West Virginia, Simms caught 87 passes for 1,457 yards and 8 touchdowns over three seasons from 2016-2018, during which time he was teammates with former Seahawks draft pick and current UFL player Gary Jennings Jr. After going undrafted, Simms signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019, but he never played an NFL snap. He was placed on injured reserve during preseason before being waived, and didn’t get back into pro football until joining the Michigan Panthers in 2023.
Also of note about Simms is his special teams experience. He returned over 40 kickoffs in his last two seasons at West Virginia (with a long of 80 yards), and brought back 13 kicks with the Panthers (with a long of 67). Simms also blocked a punt that was returned for a touchdown in the 2023 season. With the NFL modifying its kickoff rules (which the UFL did not implement, incidentally), Simms is a low-cost candidate and at the very least a training camp body.
The other UFL player on the Seahawks roster is former Birmingham Stallions running back Ricky Person Jr.
