Once Aaron Rodgers is officially gone, the Packers will need to acquire a backup for new starting quarterback Jordan Love. Fortunately, the free-agent market is filled with pretty good options. Teddy Bridgewater, Marcus Mariota, Mason Rudolph, Carson Wentz, and Gardner Minshew are just some of the available signal callers who have won their share of games in the NFL. Unfortunately, general manager Brian Gutekunst might not possess the salary cap space to sign any of them.
The Packers will be about $11 million under the salary cap once Rodgers officially becomes a Jet. When you take into account the money already allocated for the new class of rookies and the funds needed to operate during the regular season, there won’t be much left for one of the backup quarterbacks with a familiar name and a relatively impressive resume.
If Gutekunst is forced to go shopping in the bargain bin, he might want to consider bringing back Kurt Benkert, who spent the 2021 season on Green Bay’s practice squad but was cut before the start of training camp last June. Heck, he might want to consider Benkert regardless. Whether the No. 2 or 3 quarterback, having him around would be a good idea.
There was a reason why Doug Pederson backed up Brett Favre from 1995 to 1998. Green Bay could’ve acquired a much more talented understudy than the journeyman with a below-average arm from Northeast Louisiana, but Pederson got along extremely well with Favre and proved to be a valuable sounding board during the week and a calming influence on game day. In fact, the bond was so strong that Pederson returned to Green Bay in 2001 after stints with Philly and Cleveland.
Love will be under intense pressure as he tries to replace Rodgers, so having a familiar face around would be helpful. Why wouldn’t that person be Danny Etling, who spent last season on the practice squad? It could be, but I always felt the decision to cut Benkert was more about giving him a chance to make a 53-man roster than it was an indictment of his ability. Skill-wise, the personable 27-year-old fits LaFleur’s offense better than Etling, who’s too eager to leave the pocket.
Off the field and on the sidelines, Benkert could be to Love what Pederson was to Favre. Less importantly, he also has the talent to be a solid backup. The former Virginia star flashed good movement skills during the 2021 preseason and showed an ability to matriculate the ball down the field. Benkert completed 33 of 48 passes for 300 yards and 1 TD in three games. Aside from one bad fourth-quarter interception vs. Houston, he made solid decisions and protected the ball.
Gutekunst let Benkert go to give him a legit chance to stick on another team’s 53-man roster, which was never going to happen with Rodgers and Love ahead of him on the depth chart. That opportunity now exists in Green Bay, so why not at least give him another look? Even if Gutekunst finds the cap space to add an established backup, that player won’t share the same history with Love, who’ll need every advantage possible as he looks to replace one of the NFL’s all-time greats.
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Matriculate, good job working a little Hank Stram into the post.
I’m curious to see who Gutekunst brings in. Almost all the good backup quarterbacks have been signed already. What’s Matt Flynn up to these days?