Packers pull the trigger on QB moves, but the biggest question at the position still doesn’t have a clear answer
Taylor Elgersma and Sean Clifford are still battling.
The Green Bay Packers have made the expected decisions and waived quarterbacks Sean Clifford and Taylor Elgersma ahead of the final roster cuts on Tuesday. The moves were initially reported by Tom Silverstein, Bill Huber, and Tom Pelissero. With that, the Packers will start the regular season with only two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, Jordan Love and Malik Willis.
This has been the usual modus operandi for the Packers under general manager Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur. The last time that Green Bay started the season with three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster was in 2020, when Jordan Love was a rookie who didn’t have the preseason, prompting the Packers to keep Aaron Rodgers and Tim Boyle, beyond Love.
In 2025, the Packers keep the same two quarterbacks who were on the initial roster last year. Clifford had also been waived in 2024, alongside seventh-round pick Michael Pratt. This year, it’s Canadian undrafted rookie Taylor Elgersma.
Who’s going to be on the practice squad
Even though the Packers had an easy decision to waive both Clifford and Elgersma, the big question mark left is who will be the QB3, on the practice squad.
Last year, Green Bay decided to keep Clifford over Pratt because the team had just acquired Willis, so it needed a player with more familiarity with the scheme. Now, though, Willis is fully integrated in the offense. At the same time, he’s entering the final year of his deal.
Therefore, it could make more sense for the Packers to keep around a player with a higher upside in Elgersma, albeit one that needs more development coming from Canadian football, with different rules and field dimensions.
It’s not impossible either that the Packers would look for a third-string quarterback elsewhere. But that answer will only come on Wednesday, when players waived during final roster cuts are either claimed or clear waivers, becoming available to sign practice squad contracts.
Performance
Neither quarterback had a strong performance in training camp or preseason, but Elgersma had better numbers than Clifford—a strong indication that he’s better, considering Clifford is already in his third NFL season after being a fifth-round pick in 2023.
Taylor Elgersma had a 104.6 passer rating and 54.8 PFF passing grade, while Sean Clifford finished the preseason with a 58.7 passer rating and a 50.2 PFF passing grade, even though the veteran also had a rushing touchdown.
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