Michigan dropped to 3-2 on the season after what some could probably describe as a demoralizing loss to Minnesota on Saturday. It was the first time Michigan lost to the Golden Gophers since 2014, and the first time they lost on the road at Minnesota since 1977. While there are many people to point fingers at, when it comes to the offense, Bryce Underwood is a popular choice when it comes to blame.
When Underwood was a long-time commit to LSU during his recruitment, Michigan made a hard push for the Detroit native to flip to the Wolverines and ended up successful in its efforts. Now, two years and a $12 million four-year NIL deal later, it seems like the Wolverines could find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Underwood was seen as the second coming in Ann Arbor, the player to bring Michigan back to the top of the mountain in college football. Instead, his play has left fans wondering how he was ever the No. 1 recruit in his class, and now rumblings about his benching are coming to the forefront.
Michigan has four-star true freshman Tommy Carr waiting in the wings, but with a starting QB who makes $3 million a year and roughly $250,000 every game, whether he plays or not, how does Michigan bench him? Well, there is the avenue of Underwood heading to the transfer portal at the end of the year, but why would he, with the money he is making in Ann Arbor?
Why would Bryce Underwood leave Michigan with the money he is making?
Underwood's play in what is practically a season and a half is enough proof that he just doesn't have what it takes to compete at this level. The footwork is a mess, Underwood can't get through reads well, his decision-making is questionable, and sure, he has a strong arm, but that isn't helpful when his throws aren't even accurate.
Now, I will admit, against Minnesota, Underwood barely got any help from his offensive line, but that hasn't been the case in every other game in his career. Underwood showed some signs of potential greatness against Iowa, but even then, when the Wolverines got to the red zone, they couldn't finish drives, including one where Underwood threw an interception on the one-yard line.
So, say Kyle Whittingham chooses to bench Underwood. Enough is enough, and it's time to see what Carr can do. Underwood is sitting as the backup quarterback and making $3 million a year because the NCAA prohibits teams from adding an athletic performance contingency clause to NIL contracts.
Underwood probably doesn't want to be a backup. His goal is to get to the NFL one day, and that is really difficult if he isn't showing his talent on the field and is instead sitting on the bench. However, if he chooses to leave Michigan at the end of the season, it is hard to believe he is going to find another school that will pay him anywhere near what the Wolverines are paying him based on his performance.
Can Michigan get out of Bryce Underwood's NIL deal?
While I can't speak for Michigan, there has got to be some buyer's remorse when it comes to Underwood right now. Granted, Underwood's NIL deal is funded by the Champions Circle NIL collective, not Michigan itself. So, basically, big donors for Michigan are bankrolling Underwood's massive deal.
Now, those donors can't back out due to Underwood's level of play, which means both sides are locked into this deal. On the other hand, Michigan did not put a buyout into Underwood's contract, so there is no way for the Wolverines to get out of this contract unless he leaves Michigan through the portal.
If Underwood chooses to go to a different school, Michigan is no longer obligated to continue paying his contract, and he will have to renegotiate a new deal elsewhere. So, again, why would Underwood leave when he has it pretty good at Michigan?
With the bye week, Whittingham has a lot of big decisions to make, especially when it comes to the offense. Hopefully, the NIL deal doesn't come into play when Whittingham is making his call, and he chooses to go with whatever is best for the Wolverines as a whole.
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