Former NFL MVP QB is a good fit with Packers
The bulk of NFL free agency is over, but that doesn't mean teams are done signing players. The Green Bay Packers are still looking to add veteran players to their roster. Head coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday he wants to add a veteran wide receiver to that respective room and general manager Brian Gutekunst said […]
The bulk of NFL free agency is over, but that doesn't mean teams are done signing players.
The Green Bay Packers are still looking to add veteran players to their roster. Head coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday he wants to add a veteran wide receiver to that respective room and general manager Brian Gutekunst said Monday he'd like to see a veteran quarterback join the team.
“I think it would be nice to have someone who has some experience,” Gutekunst told reporters. “We have a lot of respect for Danny [Etling] and what he’s done and would be very comfortable with him in the two spot, but I think we’ll look at a lot of different options. Back when Aaron took over in 2008, I think it was Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn who we drafted that year and they were our backups – so I think we’ll kind of see how that works itself out.”
There are a few options on the market that make sense, but there's one really good fit in former NFL MVP Matt Ryan.
Ryan is familiar with LaFleur's system due to his former partnership with San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. Ryan earned his MVP and went to the Super Bowl in Shanahan's system as Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator back in 2016.
And guess who his quarterbacks coach was that year? That's right: Matt LaFleur. The Packers head coach was Ryan's QB coach in 2015, as well.
Granted, LaFleur's system and Shanahan's system aren't identical, by any means. But there are a lot of similarities in some of the most important areas such as philosophy, responsibilities, and terminology. It wouldn't be a tough ask for Ryan to come in and pick things up. LaFleur learned under both Shanahan and his father, former Super Bowl-winning head coach Mike Shanahan, so his system is certainly derived from theirs.
But more importantly, Ryan can serve as a mentor to Jordan Love. He can also provide some good competition throughout the offseason and training camp. The idea, here, isn't that Ryan comes in to compete for the starting job – he'll provide leadership and mentorship for Love, and he'll also provide solid depth in case of an injury.
"You can try to get a veteran in here that’s done it and can help because I think it’s always important, obviously the relationships in that room," said LaFleur. "I think it’s important for a quarterback to have another quarterback and player to lean on in some of those times, especially when you’re going through a little adversity. I think you can go that route.
"… There’s a lot of different ways to do it. I’ve been a part of a lot of different quarterback rooms, so I just think you gotta try to figure it out and get the best guy available.”
Now, obviously, the biggest factor here is both cost and whether or not Ryan is willing to do this. He's going to turn 38 soon and it's unclear if he wants to go somewhere that provides a realistic chance to win a starting gig, if he wants to retire, or if he's OK with this kind of scenario. He made a little more than $24.7 million in 2022, as well. He's obviously not going to make -or command- that much in 2023, but it's also hard to see him dropping to a backup-level $6-$8 million.
If Ryan is willing to settle for a backup/mentorship role and a decrease in pay, then this pairing makes all the sense in the world when it comes to the Packers' 2023 season.
