What Can Packers Do About Backup Quarterback?

After dismal performances by quarterbacks Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt on Sunday night, is there a viable backup plan available to the Green Bay Packers?

Green Bay Packers quarterback Sean Clifford was 6-of-10 for 43 yards and one interception at the Denver Broncos on Sunday. / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

GREEN BAY, Wis. – After disappointing performances by Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt during Sunday’s preseason loss at the Denver Broncos, the Green Bay Packers have considerable questions at backup quarterback.

Is there anything general manager Brian Gutekunst can do to solidify the position and prevent the season from potentially imploding should something happen to Jordan Love?

The short answer is not really.

With the Buffalo Bills signing Ben DiNucci and Anthony Brown this week and Colt McCoy trading a football uniform for a TV suit and tie, here is the best-available list of free-agent quarterbacks. As you’ll see, one of these quarterbacks is not like the others.

Ryan Tannehill: The 36-year-old and 2012 first-round pick has 151 career starts under his belt. In 2019 with the Titans, he was a Pro Bowler after leading the NFL in passer rating and yards per attempt. Last year with the Titans, he went 3-5 as the starter. While he completed 64.8 percent of his passes, he threw four touchdowns vs. seven interceptions.

Brian Hoyer: The 38-year-old, who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2009, has started games for eight teams. Just as remarkable: He’s lost 13 consecutive starts between 2016 in Chicago to 2023 in Las Vegas. For the Raiders last year, he was 17-of-32 with zero touchdowns, two interceptions and a 37.1 rating in his only start. He didn’t play the rest of the season.

Trevor Siemian: A seventh-round pick in 2015, the 32-year-old was the man who replaced Peyton Manning in Denver. He started 14 games in 2016 and 10 games in 2017 before moving to journeyman status with one-year stints with the Jets in 2019, Titans in 2020, Saints in 2021, Bears in 2022 and Jets in 2023. He went 2-1 in New York even with two touchdowns, four interceptions and a 62.1 rating.

A.J. McCarron: A fifth-round pick in 2014 who will turn 34 in a few weeks, McCarron has played sparingly in his career. He’s 2-2 as a starter with career marks of 63.1 percent, six touchdowns vs. three interceptions, and an 86.6 passer rating. He’s thrown six passes the past four seasons.

Blaine Gabbert: The 10th pick of the 2011 draft started 24 games for the Jaguars in 2011 and 2012 but only 25 games the past decade. Last year with the Chiefs, he started his first game since 2018 and played in two games – with zero touchdowns and three interceptions for a 31.3 rating. He’ll turn 35 in October.

Kellen Mond: A third-round pick by the Vikings in 2021, Mond was 2-of-3 for 5 yards as a rookie – that appearance coming late in the season against the Packers. The Vikings released him at the end of camp last year and he’s not been in a camp this year.

Matt Barkley: A fourth-round pick in 2013, Barkley will turn 34 when the Packers kick off the season in Brazil. Six of his seven career starts came with the Bears in 2016. Despite signing with several teams, he hasn’t thrown a pass since 2020 in Buffalo. For his career, he’s thrown 11 touchdowns vs. 22 interceptions.

So, go out and sign Tannehill, right?

In a perfect world, it would make a lot of sense. While his time in Tennessee didn’t overlap with coach Matt LaFleur’s one-year run as offensive coordinator, the Titans kept the offense after LaFleur moved on to Green Bay. So, he’d be able to get up to speed in relatively short order.

While Tannehill’s lone Pro Bowl season is ancient history, he wasn’t a one-year wonder. In 2020 and 2021, the Titans went 23-10 as Tannehill threw 54 touchdown passes (and rushed for 14 more) vs. 21 interceptions.

Even after getting benched last year, he returned for the final three games and completed 70.8 percent of his passes.

However, Tannehill is at the point in his career where he can be picky. You’d have that luxury, too, if your career earnings were almost $196 million. He doesn’t need a job.

Why sign with the Packers today, with the potential of being on the bench for all 17 games if Love makes it through the full season again, and miss out on the possibility of being able to come to the rescue of a contending team which just lost its starter?

With Tannehill almost certainly off the table and a competent, experienced veteran unlikely to become available following next week’s 53-man roster cutdown, the best option for the Packers will be to hope Clifford or Pratt grabs hold of the position this week. And then cross all the fingers and toes that Love remains Mr. Durable once again.

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Some winners and losers from last night for the #Packers. Wasn't perfect but you could see the potential for rookies Hopper and Oladapo in their first preseason snaps on defense. ⬇️https://t.co/MmhkHIkVxJ

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 19, 2024

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