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Even after taking Sean Clifford in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers could use a veteran quarterback to mentor Jordan Love, and one with Super Bowl experience has just become available.
Packers fans weren’t thrilled with the team’s selection of Clifford in the fifth round of this year’s draft. Despite plenty of experience for the Penn State Nittany Lions, Clifford struggled with consistency and production despite a solid supporting cast around him for multiple years.
Clifford will now be competing for the backup job behind Love, but the team could use a veteran at the position to help mentor the former first-round pick in his first year as a full-time starter. Jordan Dajani with CBS Sports named the Packers a top landing spot for former Super Bowl champion Nick Foles, who was recently released by the Indianapolis Colts.
“With Aaron Rodgers gone, the Packers quarterback room has a combined one NFL start,” Dajani wrote. “Jordan Love is the man going forward, and it’s worth being excited about his potential…Adding a veteran voice to this room is something that would not only make Love more comfortable, but maybe head coach Matt LaFleur too.”
Can The Packers Afford a Veteran QB?
Despite the need for a mentor behind Love, the Packers may not have the cap space to afford someone with starting QB experience to serve as a backup in 2023.
According to Over the Cap, the Packers have around $17 million in cap space. However, that doesn’t account for the team’s draft picks, which will count for $14.3 million against the cap this season once all the rookies are signed.
That, along with Love’s one-year contract extension, has made things increasingly difficult for the Packers financially to bring in any veteran free agents. In order to bring in a veteran backup, they would need to be willing to be paid at or near the veteran minimum.
Foles isn’t the only veteran backup the Packers could look at. Former MVP Matt Ryan has been previously named a top target for Green Bay, with head coach Matt LaFleur having worked with him during his time as quarterbacks coach for the Atlanta Falcons.
However, unless a QB like Foles or Ryan is willing to take a significant discount, the Packers may not be able to afford their services.
Can Sean Clifford Be QB2?
Despite the fan reaction, Clifford may end up being the second-string quarterback behind Love. Given his collegiate experience, that may not be the worst-case scenario for the Packers.
Clifford arrived on campus for the Nittany Lions back in 2017, but served as the team’s starting quarterback for four straight years starting in 2019. He went 32-14 as a starter, throwing for 10,661 yards, 86 touchdowns, and 31 interceptions.
The film shows that Clifford was given legitimate control of Penn State’s offense by his final college season, allowing him to call protections and pre-snap checks at the line of scrimmage. That kind of knowledge of a pro-style offense will translate well to the NFL level, and allow him to be a contributing voice in quarterback meetings throughout the season.
While his on-field play may be called into question, his playing experience in college could allow him to be a solid locker room fit for the Packers.
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