Packers Predicted to Sever Ties With Vet QB, Name Rookie as Backup

Getty General manager Brian Gutekunst (left) of the Green Bay Packers speaks with head coach Matt LaFleur (right) during OTAs in May 2023.

The Green Bay Packers are poised to field one of the least experienced groups in the NFL in 2023, and the quarterback position serves as a microcosm of the entire team in that regard.

Rob Demovsky of ESPN on Monday, July 24, projected that the franchise will list just two quarterbacks on its 53-man roster, Jordan Love and Sean Clifford, while carrying a third on the practice squad in Danny Etling. While Demovsky didn’t mention Alex McGough at all, the implication is that the reigning United States Football League (USFL) Most Valuable Player won’t make the team in any capacity after the Packers signed him on July 18.

“The new rule allowing teams to activate a designated third quarterback on game days might encourage teams to keep an extra one on the roster — and perhaps the Packers will if Danny Etling shows out in the preseason,” Demovsky wrote. “But they can always try to keep Etling on the practice squad and use a game-day elevation to get him active for the first couple of contests.”

Demovsky added that Clifford is positioned to earn the backup job during his rookie campaign.

“Clifford, the fifth-round pick from Penn State, already looks like a solid No. 2 prospect,” Demovsky continued. “At this point, the Packers don’t seem interested in a veteran backup for Love.”

Packers Could be QB Alex McGough’s Last Shot in NFL

GettyFormer Seattle Seahawks quarterback Alex McGough will compete for a Green Bay Packers roster spot during 2023 training camp.

As of Monday, two days before the start of Packers training camp, McGough was listed as the fourth-string QB on Green Bay’s depth chart, per ESPN.

McGough entered the NFL as a seventh-round draft pick (No. 220 overall) of the Seattle Seahawks in 2018 on the heels of setting a school record for passing touchdowns with 65 at Florida International. After Seattle eventually cut him, McGough earned preseason and practice squad stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans, respectively.

The quarterback eventually rejoined the Seahawks, though he never took a regular season snap at any of his stops, including the last. Seattle waived McGough in 2021, after which time he was out of the league until Green Bay signed him early last week.

Considering his age, this figures to be one of McGough’s last shots at an NFL job coming off of his MVP campaign in the USFL. The quarterback will turn 28 years old in November.

Etling turned 29 over the weekend, and while he has also never taken a regular season snap, he has been a more permanent fixture on the end of NFL benches since entering the league. Like McGough, Etling was a seventh-round draft pick in 2018, going one spot before McGough (No. 219 overall) to the New England Patriots.

Packers Appear Likely to Pass on Seasoned NFL Backups, for Now

GettyQuarterback Teddy Bridgewater, formerly of the Miami Dolphins, warms up prior to an AFC Wild Card playoff game against the Buffalo Bills in January 2023.

Green Bay’s choice to sign McGough was something of a surprise considering he has even less experience than Etling. As a rookie, Clifford has also never taken a snap in a regular season NFL game — meaning every player behind Love is entirely unfamiliar with a situation at least one of them is likely to face at some point during the upcoming season.

Beyond being the team’s most seasoned quarterback with all of one start and 83 total snaps under center outside of practice and the preseason, Love is also the Packers’ youngest signal caller at 24 years of age with a birthday approaching in November. Clifford turned 25 in mid-July.

Because of the lack of experience at the position, the Packers were considered strong candidates to pursue a veteran free agent over the summer. Perhaps the best option available is Teddy Bridgewater, most recently of the Miami Dolphins, who boasts a career record of 33-32 as an NFL starter.

However, as Demovsky pointed out, it appears clear that the Packers are content to ride with the players they have now. That situation could change quickly and drastically once the season begins, though, if Love gets injured and/or the team’s current backup options don’t pan out. Under those circumstances, Bridgewater remains a name to watch in Green Bay — assuming he isn’t signed by a competitor first.