Stallions sign former showboats, stars QB Case Cookus
March 8, 2025 - BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
By Jesse Kelley
The Birmingham Stallions have announced the signing of Quarterback Case Cookus. Cookus will join an already-established quarterback room for the Stallions as he brings knowledge and experience to Birmingham. As a veteran of spring football, Cookus spent last season with the Memphis Showboats, where he played in eight games throughout the 2024 UFL campaign. Before the two league’s merger, Cookus spent two seasons under center for the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL. Serving as the primary starting quarterback for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Cookus led his squad to the 2022 USFL Championship, where they would fall in a back-and-forth thrilling game with the Stallions, 33-30. In his 27 career games played in spring football over the past three seasons, Cookus has thrown for 4,618 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions and has completed 447-of-716 passes for a career completion percentage of 62.4.
A native of Thousand Oaks, California, Cookus attended Thousand Oaks High School and was named MVP of the 41st Ventura County All-Star game in high school. Cookus played football for Coach Jerome Souers at Northern Arizona University from 2015 to 2019. During his career with the Lumberjacks, Cookus totaled 12,082 passing yards, 105 touchdown passes, 21 interceptions and completed 892-of-1,431 passes in his incredible collegiate career. While in college, Cookus displayed his dual-threat capabilities, adding six rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown at NAU. As a true freshman in 2015, Cookus won the Jerry Rice Award and the STATS FCS Freshman Player of the Year. Both awards are given to the top freshman football player in the FCS; he also took home first-team All-Big Sky Conference honors and Co-Freshman of the Year in 2015.
After Cookus had completed his collegiate eligibility, he focused on pursuing a professional football career, which led to his first shot in the NFL, and he signed as an undrafted free agent with the New York Giants in 2020. After being waived by the Giants just before the 2020 regular season, Cookus spent brief stints with the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders and the Edmonton Elks of the CFL. Cookus transitioned to spring football and was selected in the 12th round of the 2022 USFL Draft by the Philadelphia Stars, leading his team to a Championship Game appearance. Cookus performed exceptionally well throughout the 2022 USFL season but unfortunately had to exit the title game against the Stallions early after suffering a leg injury. Cookus returned to full strength, signing a brief practice squad contract with the Los Angeles Rams before his contract expired at the end of the Rams’ season in 2022. Cookus found his way by re-signing with Philly for the 2023 season, ranking second in the league in passing touchdowns with 15 before the Stars folded when the USFL and XFL merged. The Memphis Showboats selected Cookus in the 2024 UFL Dispersal Draft. Cookus appeared in eight games for Memphis last season, making six starts and throwing for seven total touchdowns over 989 passing yards. Cookus brings an immense amount of professional football knowledge to the Stallions’ quarterback room and will immediately join the team’s training camp in Arlington as the Stallions prepare for their first game on March 30 against the D.C. Defenders at Audi Field in the nation’s capital.