 Perry playing for the Brown Bears in 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||
| No. 18 – Montreal Alouettes | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||||||||||
| CFL status | American | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1998-08-16)August 16, 1998 (age 27) Andover, Massachusetts, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||
| High school | Andover (Andover, Massachusetts) | ||||||||||||||||||
| College | Boston College (2017−2018) Brown (2019−2021) | ||||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2022: undrafted | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
| Career spring football statistics as of Week 1, 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
| Stats at CFL.ca | |||||||||||||||||||
Ernest Joseph Perry IV (born August 26, 1998) is an American professionalfootballquarterback for theMontreal Alouettes of theCanadian Football League (CFL). He playedcollege football for theBoston College Eagles andBrown Bears.
Perry grew up inAndover, Massachusetts, and attendedAndover High School. He played football at Andover for his father, E. J. Perry III, and was a four-year starter atquarterback. Perry set the single-game state record for passing yards with 636 during his junior season and was featured inSports Illustrated'sFaces in the Crowd.[1] As a senior, Perry was named theBoston Globe Division 1 Player of the Year after he passed for 3,398 yards and 47 touchdowns, which tied the state record, and also rushed for 1,006 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.[2][3] He finished his high school career with 8,712 passing yards and 114 touchdown passes, both of which are second in Massachusetts high school history.[4] Perry committed to play college football atBoston College over FBS offers fromUMass andOhio and from FCS schoolsNew Hampshire,Holy Cross,Monmouth,Bryant,Yale,Dartmouth,Brown andColumbia.[5]
Perry began his collegiate career atBoston College and joined the team as an early enrollee.[6] He played in one game as a freshman but did not throw a pass. As a sophomore, Perry played in five games and completed 27 of 39 passes for 277 yards and two touchdowns. Following the end of the season, Perry announced that he would be transferring toBrown where his uncle,James Perry had recently been named head coach.[7]
Perry was named the Brown Bears' starting quarterback going into his first season with the team. He was named first-team All-Ivy League after completing 251 of 418 pass attempts for 2,948 yards and 22 touchdowns with 13 interceptions and also leading the team with 730 rushing yards with eight touchdowns.[8] He also played basketball for Brown following the season.[9] Perry's initial senior season in 2020 was canceled due to Covid-19.[10]
In 2021, Perry won the Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League's top offensive player and was again named first-team all-conference after completing 295 of 444 attempts for 3,033 yards and 23 touchdowns against 14 interceptions and rushing for 402 yards and seven touchdowns.[11][12] He also won TheGeorge H. "Bulger" Lowe Award by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston as the best offensive player in New England and was a finalist for theWalter Payton Award.[13] After the conclusion of his college career, Perry was invited to play in the2022 East–West Shrine Bowl.[14][15] He completed 13-of-18 passing attempts for 241 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed for twotwo-point conversions and was named the game's offensive MVP.[16]
| Season | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | |||
| Boston College Eagles | ||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Boston College | 1 | 0 | — | Redshirted | |||||||||||
| 2018 | Boston College | 5 | 0 | — | 27 | 39 | 69.2 | 277 | 2 | 0 | 145.8 | 20 | 70 | 3.5 | 1 | |
| Brown Bears | ||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Brown | 10 | 10 | 2−8 | 249 | 416 | 59.9 | 2,938 | 22 | 13 | 130.4 | 141 | 727 | 5.2 | 8 | |
| 2020 | Brown | 0 | 0 | — | Season canceled due to Covid-19 | |||||||||||
| 2021 | Brown | 10 | 10 | 2−8 | 296 | 445 | 66.5 | 3,034 | 23 | 14 | 134.6 | 111 | 402 | 3.6 | 7 | |
| Career[17] | 26 | 20 | 4−16 | 572 | 900 | 63.5 | 6,247 | 47 | 27 | 133.1 | 272 | 1,199 | 4.4 | 16 | ||
Perry participated in the 2022NFL Combine and received the highest overall athleticism score of any quarterback invited.[18][19] Leading up to the draft he worked out withNew England Patriots quarterbacksMac Jones andJarrett Stidham at Edge Performance Systems inFoxborough, Massachusetts.[20]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft1+5⁄8 in (1.87 m) | 211 lb (96 kg) | 32 in (0.81 m) | 9 in (0.23 m) | 4.65 s | 4.18 s | 6.85 s | 34.5 in (0.88 m) | 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) | ||||
| All values fromNFL Combine[21][22][23] | ||||||||||||
Perry initially agreed to terms for a contract with thePhiladelphia Eagles as anundrafted free agent shortly after the conclusion of the2022 NFL draft.[24] However, he opted not to sign with the team after the Eagles signed quarterbackCarson Strong and instead signed a contract with theJacksonville Jaguars on May 3, 2022.[25] On July 24, 2022, the Jaguars released Perry with a non-football injury designation.[26] He was re-signed by the Jaguars on August 9, 2022.[27] Perry was waived a second time on August 30, 2022, during final roster cuts and re-signed to thepractice squad.[28][29] He signed a reserve/future contract with the Jaguars on January 23, 2023.[30] He was waived on March 7, 2023.[31]
On March 8, 2023, Perry was claimed off waivers by theHouston Texans.[32] He was waived on May 11, 2023.
Perry signed with theMichigan Panthers of theUnited States Football League on May 30, 2023.[33] He was released from his contract on August 12, 2023, to sign with an NFL team.[34]
Perry re-signed with the Texans on August 13, 2023.[35] He was waived on August 29, 2023.[36]
On December 18, 2023, Perry re-signed with the Panthers,[37] but was released the next day to sign with an NFL team.[38]
On December 19, 2023, Perry signed to the Jaguars' practice squad following starting quarterbackTrevor Lawrence entering concussion protocol.[39] He was not signed to a reserve/future contract and thus became a free agent after the season when his practice squad contract expired.[40]
Perry re-signed with the Michigan Panthers on January 22, 2024.[41] He was placed on injured reserve on April 24, 2024.[42] He was activated on June 4.[43] He re-signed with the Panthers again on August 9, 2024.[44] His contract was terminated on August 20, 2024, to sign with an NFL team.[45]
On August 20, 2024, Perry re-signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.[46] He was waived on August 27, and re-signed to the practice squad, but released the next day.[47][48]
On November 12, 2024, Perry re-signed with the Michigan Panthers.[49] He was released on February 4, 2025.[50]
On February 5, 2025, Perry signed with theMemphis Showboats of theUnited Football League (UFL).[50]
On October 7, 2025, it was announced that Perry had signed with theMontreal Alouettes.[51]
| Year | Team | League | Games | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |||
| 2023 | MICH | USFL | 1 | 1 | 1–0 | 12 | 23 | 52.2 | 121 | 5.3 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 67.5 | 10 | 48 | 4.8 | 25 | 1 |
| 2024 | MICH | UFL | 4 | 4 | 2–2 | 55 | 79 | 69.6 | 664 | 8.4 | 76 | 2 | 3 | 78.1 | 23 | 151 | 6.6 | 17 | 4 |
| 2025 | MEM | 6 | 4 | 0–4 | 55 | 94 | 58.5 | 588 | 6.3 | 49 | 2 | 5 | 61.8 | 18 | 71 | 4.0 | 16 | 1 | |
| Career | 11 | 9 | 3–6 | 122 | 206 | 59.2 | 1,373 | 6.7 | 76 | 4 | 8 | 69.5 | 51 | 270 | 5.3 | 25 | 6 | ||
| Year | Team | League | Games | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |||
| 2023 | MICH | USFL | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 23 | 38 | 60.5 | 370 | 9.7 | 72 | 2 | 1 | 99.7 | 7 | 22 | 3.1 | 6 | 1 |
| Career | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 23 | 38 | 60.5 | 370 | 9.7 | 72 | 2 | 1 | 99.7 | 7 | 22 | 3.1 | 6 | 1 | ||
Another uncle of Perry's,John Perry, is a football coach and was previously the head coach atMerrimack College.[52] John also was a receiver coach for the Houston Texans.