Two New Options for Packers’ Third Quarterback

Will the Green Bay Packers stick with Alex McGough as their third quarterback or could they be looking for a better developmental prospect?

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The top of the Green Bay Packers’ quarterback depth chart is crystal clear. Jordan Love will start and rookie Sean Clifford will be the backup.

The Packers will take three quarterbacks into the season, with that third quarterback almost certainly toiling on the practice squad.

In addition to USFL MVP Alex McGough, who spent all of camp with the Packers and figures to get some playing time against the Seahawks on Saturday, two names have joined a potential list of candidates.

One is Kellen Mond, who was selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. Initially deemed someone who could nudge aside Kirk Cousins, Mond has been a flop.

The Vikings released him at the end of their 2022 training camp. The Browns claimed him off waivers, and he spent the entirety of the season with Cleveland. The Browns released him on Thursday.

Mond is subject to waivers. If he clears waivers, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent.

Mond has played in one game in his career – mop-up duty at the end of a game at Green Bay on Jan. 2, 2022. He completed 2-of-3 passes for 5 yards. The incompletion was almost intercepted by Krys Barnes.

Mond turned 24 a couple months ago. At this early stage of a player’s career, the college scouting report holds a great deal of weight. If the Packers liked him before the 2021 draft, it’s possible they could grab him as their developmental third passer.

Kellen Mond at Green Bay as a rookie (Photo by Benny Sieu/USA Today Sports Images)

At 6-foot-2 5/8 and with 4.62 speed in the 40, he’s got the requisite size and athleticism. At Texas A&M, he threw for 9,661 yards and 71 touchdowns in four seasons. As a senior in 2020, he completed 63.3 percent of his passes with 19 touchdowns vs. just three interceptions.

Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers are ready to move on from Trey Lance. The 49ers gave up three first-round picks to move up to No. 3 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft to select Lance. In two starts in 2021 and two more starts in 2022, Lance completed 54.9 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and three interceptions. Last year, he completed just 48.4 percent of his passes and fashioned a feeble 55.0 passer rating.

According to Bet Online, the Packers have the seventh-shortest odds to sign Lance, though that seems an unlikely marriage.

After signing McGough, the Packers worked out Jacob Eason, who was a fourth-round pick by the Colts in 2020. He remains unsigned.

Or, they could stick with McGough, who has failed to make much of a mark in limited opportunities. He played seven snaps in the preseason opener at Cincinnati and did not attempt a pass. The fourth was a sack/strip/turnover, and the fifth, sixth and seventh were kneel-downs to run out the clock. He did not play in the abbreviated game vs. New England.

“I do think he’s worked extremely hard and he’s done a really nice job of picking it up,” coach Matt LaFleur said before Thursday’s practice. “It’s just one of those (things where) he hasn’t gotten as many reps as we’d like to give him. That’s always one of the toughest things is how do you get three quarterbacks reps. It’s really tough when we had four quarterbacks for a while, but I think he’s done as good as he could with those limited reps that he’s gotten.

“With Sean being a rookie quarterback, naturally you’re going to give more reps to your No. 2 guy. It’s just kind of the situation we’ve been in, but I think he’s handled it the best he could.”

McGough was a seventh-round pick by Seattle in 2018.

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