What a UFL Offensive Lineman Will Bring to the New Orleans Saints
Months of preseason work to rebuild the New Orleans Saints for the 2025 season culminated in their first appearance this past Sunday in Los Angeles. Although it didn’t result in the win the New Orleans Saints’ fans hoped for, the loss has made the coaching staff aware of the improvements that need to be made in the remaining two preseason games. The low number of points scored against their opponents indicates that the offensive line requires the most attention. With not many options in free agency at this point in the preseason, head coach Kellen Moore may again need to look outside of the NFL for talent. This week, in another move to strengthen their offense, the Saints signed Mike Panasiuk, who played as a starting center in the UFL, a.k.a United Football League.
Mike Panasiuk, pronounced “PAN-uh-sook,” isn’t a player who you’d recall being introduced onscreen by the commentators, but he has had a varied football career. While playing as a defensive tackle for Michigan State from 2016 through 2019, he played 51 games, during which he made 40 solo tackles, assisted in 60 tackles, recorded four sacks, and intercepted two passes. In 2020, he would start his NFL career by being signed to the Las Vegas Raiders, but he was released five months later. About a month after his departure, Mike would be signed onto the practice squad of the Carolina Panthers until January of 2021, in which he signed a reserve/future contract, before being waived with an injury designation that August. He would continue to play football after being signed for the XFL’s 2023 season, on the St. Louis Battlehawks. He re-signed for the following season after being named to the All-XFL Team, then was again named in 2024 to the All-UFL Team. Panasiuk made a return to the NFL for three days in 2024, when he was briefly signed, then waived by the Indianapolis Colts. In December of that same year, he returned to the Battlehawks of the UFL, where he would again be named to the All-UFL Team for that season.
As the Saints rebuild their offense for the start official season, they’ll need to continue to add experienced players to their roster. If those players’ experiences happen to come from other leagues, well, actual time on the field in a stadium in front of a crowd still counts as valuable experience. The tactics acquired by Panasiuk during his career in the UFL will make him invaluable as a player and will perhaps be shared with his teammates. It is an incredible risk to venture outside of the NFL for players, especially since the players within these other leagues weren’t “qualified enough” to be signed by any of the official teams. Kellen Moore is aware of the low regard that is being set for the Saints, but that doesn’t mean he has to accept it. Giving players another chance to return to the NFL reinvigorates them to play their best and prove just what they’re capable of.
