Packers just handed one of their most important jobs to a rookie
The Green Bay Packers caused a bit of a stir when they selected former Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. I'll admit: I was one of the mega-doubters. But just a little more than three months later, the team has been vindicated, to a certain extent. And my […]
The Green Bay Packers caused a bit of a stir when they selected former Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
I'll admit: I was one of the mega-doubters. But just a little more than three months later, the team has been vindicated, to a certain extent.
And my foot is in my mouth. But hey, that's totally fine.
That's because, per the Packers' Twitter account, the team released one of its backup quarterbacks in Danny Etling. The same Etling who entered the offseason as the No. 2 behind Jordan Love. Which means Clifford is now the direct backup to Love.
Clifford has really impressed over the last couple of months and he made a big statement during Packers Family Night on Saturday. The rookie has shown the same command and intangibles he showed during his time with the Nittany Lions, which is impressive considering the deficiencies that surrounded his game via various scouting reports.
It was a questionable move to bring in Alex McGough a couple weeks ago because of the fact that he himself has zero NFL experience in the form of regular season snaps. But now, the move makes more sense with Etling out of the picture. And honestly, it could prompt the Packers to bring in the veteran QB most thought they would.
Either way, the No. 2 job is now Clifford's to lose and that's big. Per Packer Central's Bill Huber – nearly 70 quarterbacks started an NFL game last year (the 49ers probably had 12 of them). Having a reliable/effective option at backup quarterback is a must-have for teams looking to have success and even though the Packers are coming down from the Aaron Rodgers era – they are still looking to compete. They're not mailing the season in and they are making sure they have the best options at every position.
Featured image via Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK
