In case you missed the news last week (which is very likely, since pretty much nobody in town reported on it besides Urban Milwaukee), Milwaukee is apparently getting a football team. Some of you might be thinking “Huh?” right now, whereas others may be thinking “What?” But it’s true! At least we think it’s true. Unlike that professional soccer team the city was supposed to get that never materialized, this team has a name, some coaches and front office personnel, a division within a somewhat established league, and a projected start to its inaugural season. There are still a lot of uncertainties, but here’s everything we think we know about Milwaukee’s new professional football team at this point in time.
What’s the team going to be called?
As the image at the top of this article suggests, the team will be called the Milwaukee Silverbacks. The name is a reference to Samson, the silverback gorilla who resided at the Washington Park Zoo and later the Milwaukee County Zoo between the 1950s and his death in 1981.
Who’s on the coaching staff?
The team will be led by head coach Gilbert Brown, a Packers icon who was an integral part of the defense during Green Bay’s Super Bowl XXXI season. The Gravedigger’s coaching staff also features some familiar names. Former Packers defensive lineman Keith McKenzie will serve as the defensive coordinator and five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Andre Rison will run the offense. Both coordinators were Brown’s teammates during that legendary 1996 Packers season. Darius Jenkins was named the general manager, Kyle Brown will handle special teams and offensive/defensive line coordination duties, and two-time Super Bowl-winning linebacker Pepper Johnson will serve as a team advisor and assistant GM.
What league are the Silverbacks in?
The new team will play in the Continental Football League, which ran for a few years in the late 1960s and was revived in 2025. Milwaukee is the sixth team in the 11-on-11 outdoor football league (which aspires to give players “a real shot at the next level” in the CFL and NFL) and will play in the North Division along with the Cincinnati Dukes and another expansion team called the Indianapolis Capitols. The three South Division teams are all located in Texas.
Who owns the team?
We don’t know.
Where will the team play its home games?
They don’t know yet, but we do know they’re hoping to play three home games next year.
When will the season take place?
According to the team’s website, the season will begin in May and run through July.
Anything else?
Not really! Sorry. That’s pretty much all we know right now, but maybe consider signing up for the team’s newsletter to get updates “about season tickets, tryouts and the home opener.” Go, uh, Silverbacks?