Packers make intriguing pre-draft decision that sparks follow-up discussion about the quarterback situation moving forward
After missing out on Kirk Cousins in free agency, the Packers could take advantage of the draft by studying Texas Tech QB Behren Morton, who’s a late-round prospect.
The Green Bay Packers have done a lot of work on late-round/undrafted quarterback prospects, so it’s not a surprise that the front office will host Texas Tech QB Behren Morton on a Top-30 visit. But Morton is a particularly interesting possibility for the Packers, and he could be the ideal developmental backup quarterback behind Jordan Love.
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Scouting profile
Heading into the season, Behren Morton had some fans around the league, particularly from Southwest area scouts. With requisite size, good accuracy, and toughness in the pocket, he does bring an intriguing baseline as a quarterback. Over the last couple of years when healthy, Morton has been a productive passer for the Red Raiders. The biggest issue for Morton is that he has been pretty banged up, having to work through various nagging injuries the last two seasons.
That inconsistent availability does make him a bit of a wildcard, as does his lack of movement skills. In the right situation, Morton does have a solid overall profile as a passer to fight for a roster spot. Morton isn’t an exciting prospect, but teams value dependability in a backup role, which defines Morton perfectly when he is on the field.
Morton appeared in 45 games at Texas Tech. As a senior, he completed 66% of his passes with 8.4 yards per attempt, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He had an 80.9 PFF passing grade, which is a play-by-play-based analysis. In 2025, he had a 6.4% big-time throw rate and a 3.6 turnover-worthy play rate.
Why Behren Morton makes sense for the Packers
Behren Morton is a 24-year-old prospect, so he’s a little bit older than what the Packers would usually prefer. But that’s actually fine for backup quarterbacks — what is called around the NFL as the Brock Purdy effect. Morton is more on the extreme side of this, but his college experience could be an advantage in this case.
The Packers don’t need a decade-plus quarterback, they need a potential solid backup with some starting upside to play well throughout his rookie deal, which means getting a 24-year-older is a perfectly fine approach.
Right now, the Packers have 26-year-old Desmond Ridder and 23-year-old Kyle McCord on the roster — Ridder is a former starter for the Atlanta Falcons, and McCord was a sixth-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles last year. But general manager Brian Gutekunst has already mentioned the possibility of adding another veteran backup — even if he won’t be Kirk Cousins anymore — which would keep the door open for a younger, developmental third-stringer.
The idea, whether it’s using a seventh-round pick or signing a quarterback as an undrafted free agent, is to create more competition without investing a lot of draft resources or money.
Green Bay Packers News
Packers miss out on Kirk Cousins sweepstakes as backup quarterback situation gets murkier with few options left
Cousins signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, so now Green Bay has limited options to create competition behind Jordan Love. The roster currently has Desmond Ridder and Kyle McCord.
