GREEN BAY, Wis. — It doesn’t matter where the Green Bay Packers find their next backup quarterback; Matt Flynn proved that. But find one they must before Jordan Love starts the regular-season opener some five months from now.
As if Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst doesn’t have enough on his to-do list between now and then.
Fifteen years ago, Gutekunst’s predecessor, Ted Thompson, was charged with the same task when the team transitioned from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers. Packers fans remember that Thompson, known for his preference to build through the draft, used two picks in the 2008 draft on quarterbacks: a second-round selection (No. 56 overall) on Brian Brohm and a seventh (No. 209) on Flynn.
But easily forgotten was that Thompson first explored the free agent market. The Packers brought in several veteran quarterbacks before the draft that year: former first-round pick Daunte Culpepper, journeyman starter Gus Frerotte and career backup Quinn Gray. Thompson even offered Culpepper a contract — one year, $1 million — but Culpepper declined.
The job ultimately went to Flynn, who served as Rodgers’ backup for his first four seasons (and later returned when Rodgers broke his collarbone in 2013), while Brohm never even played in a game for the Packers.
Other than Rodgers, who is awaiting a trade, the Packers have only Love and Danny Etling on their quarterback depth chart. Etling spent last season on Green Bay’s practice squad. He has never appeared in an NFL regular-season game. The Patriots, who drafted him in the seventh round in 2018, tried to turn him into a receiver before the 2018 season.
“I think it would be nice to have someone who has some experience,” Gutekunst said last week. “We have a lot of respect for Danny and what he’s done and would be very comfortable with him in the [No.] 2 spot, but I think we’ll look at a lot of different options. Back when Aaron took over in 2008, I think it was Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn who we drafted that year, and they were our backups, so I think we’ll kind of see how that works itself out.”
To this point, Gutekunst hasn’t brought in any veteran quarterbacks for visits. This list of available backups was reduced by one on Tuesday, when Brian Hoyer signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. Among those still available who might be of interest to the Packers are Matt Ryan (who worked with Packers coach Matt LaFleur in Atlanta in 2015 and 2016), Carson Wentz, Joe Flacco, Teddy Bridgewater and Tim Boyle (who was with the Packers in 2018 and 2019).
“You can go a couple different ways with it, to be honest,” LaFleur said. “You can try to get a veteran in here that’s done it and can help, because I think it’s always important, obviously, the relationships in that room. I think it’s important for a quarterback to have another quarterback and player to lean on in some of those times, especially when you’re going through a little adversity.
“If you fall in love with somebody in the draft, you can draft a young guy. There’s a lot of different ways to do it. I’ve been a part of a lot of different quarterback rooms. So, I just think you gotta try to figure out and get the best guy available.”
Given all the Packers’ needs in the draft — receiver, tight end, pass-rusher and safety are tops among them — it’s hard to imagine Gutekunst would use a Day 1 (first round) or Day 2 (second and third rounds) pick on a quarterback. However, ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller reported this week that the Packers will host Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker on a pre-draft visit. He’s viewed as a possible late first-round pick. Other than Love, Gutekunst has not drafted a quarterback since he took over as GM in 2018.
There still could be options on Day 3, according to ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid. Asked to identify some possible quarterbacks who might fit the Packers, Reid offered three: Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell, Houston’s Clayton Tune and TCU’s Max Duggan.
Reid called O’Connell a “prototypical pocket passer whose game revolves around his accuracy. On-schedule thrower that does well with multi-step progressions and is mature in that area of the game. Projects well as an eventual high-end QB2.” Reid projected him going in the fourth or fifth round.
Of Houston’s Tune, Reid said: “Very popular late-round option among scouts and evaluators that I have talked to. Efficient and effective passer that also has mobility. Slightly above average arm that has enough arm strength to make throws on the next level.” Reid projected him as a fifth- or sixth-rounder.
Of TCU’s Duggan, Reid said: “He finally put things together in 2022. Makes things happen in unconventional ways, more so than a traditional passer from the pocket. Very mobile but lacks sufficient physical tools. Outstanding intangibles and has the mental makeup to be a backup option for many years.” He compared him to Sam Ehlinger, a sixth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 2021.
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