Eric Weddle expounds on Michigan QB Bryce Underwood take, but 'I'm not apologizing. I see what I see'

Former NFL All-Pro safety Eric Weddle, who played for Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham at Utah and visited U-M for a spring practice with his son, 2028 four-star recruit Gage Weddle, made waves this week for comments on sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood.

On the ‘Zero 2 Sixty’ podcast, Weddle said, “Mark my words, I was out there for spring ball. Don’t be surprised if the backup playing early because that Underwood kid, I don’t think he could throw or play quarterback, so we’ll see.”

On Monday, days after his initial remarks, Weddle made an appearance on ‘The Coach JB Show,’ and added some clarification about the 6-foot-4, 228-pound Underwood, who completed 60.3 percent of his passes for 2,428 yards and 11 touchdowns with 9 interceptions as a true freshman in 2025.

“Context does matter, and so we got to talking about Utah, the change in coaching staff and then Michigan,” Weddle began. “I’ve been on numerous times saying what a job Coach Whitt’s going to do their and the staff and the relationships I have there. People are just like really clueless and don’t have any idea what I’m about. Honestly, I was talking about Michigan, and out of all the nine places [we visited this spring], Michigan was probably one of the most impressive, if not the most impressive, institutions, resources, facilities, backing, support … you can go on and on and on.

“And then immediately I thought what stood out the most when I went there? We’re talking about Michigan, and I thought the level of QB play was not what I expected from my standard of QB play. And then immediately, I was like, ‘Don’t be surprised if he gets benched.’ So, people say, ‘Oh, he can’t throw.’ I say, ‘When I say he can’t throw, it means he’s not accurate.’ When I say, ‘he can’t play quarterback,’ it means ‘he doesn’t play the quarterback position very well.’ People know that who study ball and know quarterback play. They understand what I meant. Can the guy throw and is he talented and this and that? Of course. We’re not dumb.”

Weddle admitted his original statements were hyperbole, and added that the Michigan quarterback could improve and show doubters like him that they’re wrong.

“Are they coaching him up? Of course,” Weddle said of the Michigan quarterback. “Are they going to try to get him the best he can? Of course. Hopefully, honestly, I would hope that he could care less about what people like me think. But if he does, go prove me wrong. But then I think about every other place we went, and I said, ‘Man, he is behind the 8-ball of all these other quarterbacks.’ So, spring ball goes, he doesn’t look very well in the spring game, I hear comment after comment about the other kid — I don’t even know his name — and I just said, ‘Don’t be surprised.’ Because Coach Whitt, they want to run the football, they want to play great defense, they don’t want to turn the ball over. So, if he’s not playing up to the standard, then don’t be surprised.

“And, at the end of the day, for all these people out there that want to give their opinion, that’s cool. We can go back and forth. But they’re getting paid, OK? And they’re professionals at this point. So, we as ex-pros, I coach my son as if I coached a pro. There is a standard to what my expectation is. So, if you can’t handle that, then you’re in the wrong profession, you’re in the wrong business. Hopefully he proves me wrong. We’ll see. I don’t take anything back. I say what I said. I’ll stand on business. You can agree or disagree. But this is a great example and why I tell kids, ‘Do not care or pay attention to people on the outside, because they don’t understand, they don’t know what is going on. They don’t know the work.'”

Weddle alluded that Michigan fans have been attacking him back online.

“And for people out there that are wishing death on my kids and saying this, that and the other, you ain’t going to faze me, baby,” he said. “You’re not going to get my family, you’re not going to get my friends, because I am living a dream. My dream is 100-percent, 24/7, 365.”

The former NFL star said he was hard on Utah quarterback Devon Dampier in the past, showing he doesn’t have a vendetta against Underwood or Michigan.

“Everyone has to apologize after giving an opinion,” Weddle said. “I’m not apologizing. I see what I see. I didn’t see high-level QB play. Now, they can either get better … listen, I was critical of Utah last year and Devon Dampier. What did he do? He went this offseason and went to work, and he’s going to be better this year. Is he and I’s relationship not cool? No, I support him. But at the end of the day, I see what I see. These fans get out of wack. I can literally ruin millions of people’s day because I said their quarterback can’t play quarterback. That’s really the bigger issue in all of this.”