Throughout Aaron Rodgers‘ career with the Green Bay Packers, the backup quarterbacks that have come and gone have kept the revolving door spinning. The names are largely forgettable; ones that don’t pop to mind right away.
In large part, this tends to be the life of a backup quarterback in the NFL. In the snap of a finger, though, the backup quarterback can become the biggest hero or the scapegoat if a starter goes down. Every team would love to have a really solid backup option, but the reality is there aren’t that many to go around. The Packers have largely had uneventful backups on their roster. That’s why the Blake Bortles signing makes things all the more interesting in the land of cheese.
Brett Hundley, DeShone Kizer, Graham Harrell, Tim Boyle, Joe Callahan, Scott Tolzien.
Those are the names that have largely backed up Rodgers throughout his career. Most of them are late-round picks. Some of them are undrafted altogether. The most notable backup was probably Matt Flynn, drafted in the seventh round in 2008. Flynn had one really good start against the Detroit Lions in a meaningless Week 17 game in 2012 that earned him a fat paycheck from the Seattle Seahawks in the offseason.
It never worked out because Seattle drafted some guy named Russell Wilson.
Boyle is gone and had been Rodgers’ backup for a couple of years. They have Jordan Love. They could’ve signed a rookie for the third spot if they had no concerns. The Rodgers fiasco has Brian Gutekunst and Mark Murphy considering that Rodgers may stand firm on his current decision, thus leading them to the Bortles signing.
All of this is what makes the Bortles signing all the more fascinating. Yes, the Packers needed another arm for camp, especially if Rodgers opts to be absent. But Green Bay could’ve gone out and signed some undrafted free agent or scooped up another no-name guy looking for just an opportunity.
Instead, they went with a guy who was a five-year starter with the Jacksonville Jaguars. And while he didn’t drive winning in their run to the AFC Championship, he was the starter at the time.
There’s the obvious familiarity with Nathaniel Hackett, Green Bay’s current offensive coordinator who was also the offensive coordinator for the Jaguars when Bortles was there. But this move might signal something else. The Packers may be hedging a bit here or at least ensuring a backup plan if things don’t shift back around between them and Rodgers. In any other year without this Rodgers drama, there’s just no realistic likelihood that the Packers would’ve gone out and signed Bortles.
Bortles brings legitimate starting NFL experience to the table, something the Packers rarely ever have in their backup quarterbacks. He brings knowledge of multiple schemes to the table, having been with many teams. The backup is usually a young quarterback who watches and learns. Signing Bortles is vastly different from their usual method.
Those who don’t want to read into this will use the crutch that Bortles has the experience of working with Hackett in Jacksonville. And that’s all fine and true, but the Packers haven’t even gone that route in the past. It’s long been a franchise that pushes its chips in on Rodgers staying healthy, and if he gets injured, start planning for next year.
Of course, this is the case for a lot of teams. But some make an effort for an established veteran who isn’t quite a starter to be their No. 2.
The longer the Rodgers-Packers dilemma drags out, the more chaotic and uneasy things will become.
There’s no doubt that the Packers front office dug this hole themselves as they try to pile the dirt back on top. They had opportunities to give Rodgers an extension this offseason and apparently bluffed. While it doesn’t all stem from that according to reports, it’s a part of it. And as a result, Green Bay is left trying to put the pieces of the puzzle back together when all the pieces may not be there.
The Bortles signing may be something. It may be nothing. The “BOAT” jokes and Bortles’ track record will be the large discussion points as most want to make fun of the idea that the Packers signed the former third-overall pick.
What can’t be dismissed is that Bortles signing by Green Bay is outside the box of what they normally do at the position, and it may be a sign that Gutekunst and Murphy realized they may need someone who’s been around the block at the position next year just in case No. 12 doesn’t return.
