Aaron Rodgers has declared that he’s ready to join the New York Jets, although we don’t know when a trade between the Jets and the Green Bay Packers is expected to take place. Once official, adding a veteran backup quarterback to the roster will become another item on Brian Gutekunst’s offseason to-do list.
Without Rodgers, the only quarterbacks on the Packers roster right now are Jordan Love and Danny Etling. From a pure numbers standpoint, Green Bay will want at least three quarterbacks on the roster for OTAs, mini-camp, and training camp, and potentially even four. With 90 players on the roster and preseason games to be played, there are a lot of reps to go around, which is why depth is needed.
In addition to just needing more arms, there is also value in having experience on the practice field, in the film room, and on the sidelines during games as Love navigates his first season as a starter. In no way is this veteran backup in Green Bay to compete with Love or even to push him if things are rough – rather, he will be another resource or extra pair of eyes for Love to lean on if needed. Let’s give him a few months to be the guy in Green Bay before making him answer questions about who else is in the quarterback room.
Since the NFL’s legal tampering period opened on Monday, 15 quarterbacks have already agreed to new contracts, several of which are earning $4-plus million per year, with the high-end of the non-Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo deals being at $10 million for Jacoby Brissett.
In no way should the Packers be spending $4 million or more on the quarterback position. For one, the limited cap space that they do have can be better prioritized elsewhere, and two, given that they are looking specifically for a backup, they should be spending not much more than the league minimum. Cooper Rush, Marcus Mariota, Tim Boyle, Drew Lock, and Gardner Minshew are a few of the names still available that could fit what the Packers are looking for.
In addition to adding a veteran in free agency, I also expect the Packers to add to the quarterback position in the draft with one of their 10 selections. Maybe Gutekunst proves me wrong again, but my guess is that this would be a Day 3 pick, meant to build the depth of the position rather than spending an early-round pick on a quarterback and adding competition for Love in his first year as a starter.
Although there are differences between Gutekunst and his predecessor Ted Thompson, there are similarities as well, and it’s worth keeping in mind that back in 2008, Rodgers’ first year as a starter, Thompson spent a second-round pick on Brian Brohm and a seventh-round pick on Matt Flynn. That isn’t to say Gutekunst will take the same approach, but this isn’t uncharted waters for the Packers as an organization either.
This offseason, we know that the Packers have to add to their quarterback room. At a minimum, it’s an undrafted rookie signing or two. But more realistically, they’ll either bring in a free agent, spend a draft pick on the position, or both.
