As the Aaron Rodgers watch continues to drag on, more of the attention is turning towards quarterback Jordan Love. The former first-round pick will be the starter in Green Bay once the Rodgers trade is completed.
Backup quarterback is one roster deficiency general manager Brian Gutekunst and Co. will have to contend with. For that, they can look at what they did when Rodgers replaced Brett Favre in 2008. When Rodgers took over in 2008 in similar circumstances, the Packers addressed the backup spot via the draft.
No, they didn’t expend a high draft pick on a quarterback as insurance in case Rodgers was a dud. Instead, Green Bay drafted quarterback Matt Flynn out of LSU in the seventh round of 2008. Flynn would go on to serve as Rodgers’ backup in Green Bay for four years before signing a lucrative deal with the Seattle Seahawks.
Green Bay should explore that avenue again this year.
They should use their early picks in the draft on areas of need or whoever is best available. There are position groups profoundly lacking depth like outside linebacker, wide receiver, and tight end.
However, things could start to get interesting in Round 5. Green Bay has two picks in the fifth round and four more in the seventh. They’d be wise to use one on a quarterback.
The alternative would be going with a veteran like Matt Ryan or Carson Wentz, which would be both more costly and could add a layer of mental pressure to Love to step in and step up right away. It makes the draft route all the more enticing.
So who could a couple of those late options in the draft be? Can I interest you in some Clayton Tune?
Tune spent five years at Houston and put up some significant numbers. This past season, he threw for 4,074 yards with 40 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The year before that? 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Tune has a good frame at 6’3”, 220 lbs. and is surprisingly athletic. To better shine a light on the athleticism, Tune ran for 544 yards in 2022 and consistently extended plays in the passing game outside of the pocket. The experience is a plus, as is Tunes’ size.
When Green Bay drafted Flynn in 2008, he was coming off a four-year career at LSU despite just one season as the primary starter. The Packers didn’t draft a younger quarterback with minimal experience when they took Flynn, and they should take this path again. Tune fits that bill.
TCU quarterback Max Duggan would be one other potential option. Duggan was a warrior for the Horned Frogs, leading the program to the National Championship in 2022 against Georgia. Like Tune, Duggan has plenty of experience, spending four years at TCU and getting better as each season carried along. Also like Tune, Duggan has some deceptive quickness and the ability to use his legs in a pinch.
These are two options of many that Green Bay could consider if they go the path of drafting Love’s backup. Experience should be held in high regard. Keep this in mind as well: Tune is the same age as Love.
Let’s clarify this scenario again though. This is Love’s show.
Love will get every opportunity to shine in 2023. Drafting a rookie isn’t Green Bay saying, Hey, if this doesn’t work out, it’ll be a short leash because we drafted a rookie. It’s the Packers taking a cheaper route while hoping to land a younger option to be in reserve for years to come like Flynn did with Rodgers.
Drafting a Tune or Duggan isn’t about a lifeline if Love fizzles out. It’s the financially prudent decision to make. If your starter goes down or is underperforming beyond belief, you’re probably not a playoff team anyway with the backup. Matt Ryan, Carson Wentz, or any other veteran aren’t walking through that door and carrying this Packers team to the playoffs in 2023 if Love is a bust. Why waste the extra money to bring one of them in? It wouldn’t make sense.
The pieces of the puzzle are slowly starting to come together in Green Bay. Now that Rodgers’ path is clear — outside of the trade being official, that is — the Packers have the wheels in motion to start constructing the offense around their new, young quarterback.
A lot of the emphasis will be spent on wide receiver and tight end, and the Packers can make the backup quarterback opening simple by scooping someone up late in the draft and letting the chips fall where they may.
