Getty Kurt Benkert #7 of the Green Bay Packers scrambles with the ball against the New York Jets in the first half of a NFL preseason game at Lambeau Field on August 21, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Kurt Benkert could soon be rejoining the NFC North for one of his former team’s division rivals.
According to Tom Grossi of Packast, the Chicago Bears hosted the Packers’ former third-string quarterback for a roster workout on Tuesday, September 6. It is likely they are considering him for a role on their practice squad, either as a fourth-stringer or a replacement for current practice-squad quarterback Nathan Peterman.
Benkert beat out former first-round pick Blake Bortles for a place with the Packers last year and looked promising during his three games of preseason action, completing 33 of his 48 passes for 300 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He spent the entire 2021 season as the third-string quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love; though, he did get called up for one game on the active roster while Love was stuck on the reserve/COVID-19 list for a week.
The Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans have also each brought in Benkert for a roster workout over the past month, but he left both places without a contract.
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Bears Could Offer Benkert Ideal Opportunity
While there are several spots around the league where Benkert could surely compete for a third-stringer role, he could find an ideal opportunity in Chicago if the Bears decide to sign him to their practice squad in the coming days.
Right now, the Bears are heavily invested in seeing whether 2021 first-round pick Justin Fields can be their starting quarterback for the long-term future, but the depth behind him is nothing too inspiring. Their top backup option — Trevor Siemian — has 29 games of starting experience on his resume, but he will also be turning 31 in a few months and offers little upside beyond their short-term plans. The other is Peterman, a 2017 fifth-round pick who has thrown four times as many interceptions (12) as touchdown passes (three) throughout his career.
If the Bears decided to swap out Peterman for Benkert, they would gain an immediate upgrade at the QB3 spot for the 2022 season and could start teaching him the offense and playbook in hopes that he could contend for the backup role with Siemian in 2023. It also helps that he has experience with Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who worked with him in 2021 as Green Bay’s quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator.
Packers Trusting Etling as New QB3
The Packers caught some fans by surprise when they opted to release Benkert from their 90-man roster several weeks before the start of training camp. The logic behind the move was that they knew Benkert would once again be relegated to a third-stringer role with little room for elevation behind Rodgers and Love and wanted to give him a chance to find a better opportunity, but it makes even more sense after seeing how new third-stringer Danny Etling played during the preseason.
Etling, a 2018 seventh-round pick for the New England Patriots, got the second-string treatment in the preseason as the Packers prioritized Love’s development, but he also showed some good things in the limited opportunities he did spend on the field. He finished with a passing clip of 17-for-22 with 220 yards, one touchdown and no picks on 27 dropbacks and flashed his dual-threat capabilities with seven carries for 73 yards, including one that he ripped off for a 51-yard touchdown. As beloved as Benkert was, none of his preseason plays splashed quite like Etling’s.
Now, Etling is only the third-string quarterback for the Packers. If all things go well, the Packers won’t need him for anything beyond his practice-squad and scout-team duties. Still, it is important to have a young arm on the development track in the event that the worst happens. It could also serve them well in the future as the Packers move closer to a point where they will have to decide between Rodgers or Love for their roster.