There are two questions on every Packer fan’s lips as we count down the hours ‘till the team cuts its roster down to 53. Are the backup QB and kicker currently on the roster? Or are Gutey and Co. working the phones to bring in new candidates?
Let’s focus on the quarterback spot for this exercise.
I’m all for drafting and developing quarterbacks. I am also in favor of keeping either Sean Clifford or Michael Pratt as the No. 3, with the other landing on the practice squad, if possible. However, I’d much prefer Green Bay find a capable, veteran backup who could keep the team afloat if Jordan Love misses some time with an injury.
But who’s out there? I’ve got a few calls I’d make, beginning with the Cleveland Browns, a team they got to know well after a joint practice and preseason game. Deshaun Watson is the starter, and Jameis Winston is his backup. The other two guys are both intriguing: Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Tyler Huntley. DTR was a ’23 draft pick, so they may be hesitant to let him go, leaving Huntley as prime trade bait.
Huntley has shown he can be a solid backup, even earning a Pro Bowl spot in 2022 when he filled in admirably for an injured Lamar Jackson. He’s expendable in a deep QB room in Cleveland. If I’m Gutey, I dangle a sixth-rounder and/or a WR like Malik Heath or Grand DuBose to pry him loose.
Mike White is another interesting name. He hit the streets after the Miami Dolphins released him last week. At 29, he’s the definition of a journeyman, but he showed some talent when he was with the New York Jets and is far more ready to keep the Pack above water than the two youngsters currently on the roster.
We all remember Case Keenum’s days with the Minnesota Vikings, highlighted by the “Minneapolis Miracle.” He’s currently third on the Houston Texans’ depth chart behind C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills and would seem to be a prime trade candidate. Tell me you wouldn’t be more confident in him as a backup for these ’24 Packers.
I put Taylor Heinicke in the same boat. He’s shown he can lead an offense and is the prototypical backup. He sees the writing on the wall, with Kirk Cousins and rookie Michael Penix ahead of him on the depth chart. He has said he hopes to stay in Atlanta, but you know he’d welcome a chance to be the No. 2 in Green Bay.
A couple of guys I’m less excited about but would kick the tires on are C.J. Beathard and Jeff Driskel. Beathard was adequate as the backup in Jacksonville the last few years. Driskel has been on eight teams and is 1-11 as a starter, playing on some bad teams over the years. I thought he showed some moxie on Sunday night when he led his backups against the New England Patriots starting defense.
Free agent Ryan Tannehill is the final name on my list. He’s been biding his time to see if a starting QB might go down, prompting a desperate team to hand him their top job. He’s made generational money in his career, so that’s not likely his primary motivation.
Tannehill wants the chance to start somewhere. But as the days to the season tick down, maybe he could be convinced to come up to Green Bay and back up Love, knowing that if he does take the field, he’d be leading an offense talented enough to get him noticed if he performs well. He is familiar with Matt LaFleur and his system from LaFleur’s year in Nashville.
You can make the argument that the Pack’s season is toast if Love is sidelined for an extended period anyway. Still, I’d like to see them provide this roster a little more security by finding an experienced guy as an insurance policy. Last year, we had no idea what Love could be. Now that we know the Super Bowl window is wide open and the roster looks deep enough to contend, it’s time they added some proven depth at the game’s most important position.
