Key Offseason Arrives for Packers’ Quarterbacks
GREEN BAY, Wis. – For 14 seasons, the Green Bay Packers’ quarterback conversation has started and basically ended with Aaron Rodgers.
That won’t change in 2022, with the four-time NFL MVP embarking on his 15th season as the starter.
Mired in a dispute with franchise leadership, Rodgers last year skipped the voluntary workouts, voluntary organized team activities and mandatory minicamp and won MVP, anyway, by leading the league in touchdown percentage, interception percentage and passer rating for a second consecutive season.
Rodgers might have wanted to travel the world again this offseason, but the trade of Davante Adams and the need to build chemistry with veteran receiver Sammy Watkins and three drafted rookie receivers have necessitated at least his partial participation. After all, for years, Rodgers has discussed the difference between the playbook that’s on the team-issued iPads and the playbook that’s actually run on Sundays. There’s only one way for Christian Watson and Co. to learn the gameday playbook – on-the-field reps with Rodgers.
“I’ll be back there a few more days (in May) and then for minicamp,” Rodgers said on The Pat McAfee Show during the first round of the NFL Draft. “I’m excited to get back there and get things going. I’m going to put in the time to make it work with those guys and we’re going to find a way.”
Meanwhile, 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love is entering a critical three-and-a-half months of his career. The onset of COVID, which eliminated the offseason practices and preseason games, derailed his rookie-year development. Then, last year, a shoulder injury sustained in the preseason opener deprived him of critical playing time.
Love presumably will be a regular participant in the offseason work this year. When Rodgers isn’t present, he’ll take the overwhelming majority of the snaps with the No. 1 offense.
“The better the players, typically, the better the practices and the more competitive the practices,” coach Matt LaFleur said last weekend. “It’s real work, and he needs all the work he can get. I know he’ll take that. Every opportunity when you’re a young quarterback that doesn’t have a ton of game experience, and you’re not getting the bulk of the (No.) 1 reps throughout the course of the season, it’s so valuable for Jordan.”
General manager Brian Gutekunst admitted he would have listened to trade calls concerning Love. “We always listen to anybody who wants to call on any player,” Gutekunst explained. But, given how poorly Love played in losses to Kansas City and Detroit, it’s hard to believe there was much, if any, interest in Love during the draft.
A strong preseason could change his standing around the league.
“We’re pretty excited to have Jordan here for his third year and see where he develops,” Gutekunst said.
Meanwhile, former LSU quarterback Danny Etling will challenge Kurt Benkert for the No. 3 job.
Etling, who spent a portion of December on Green Bay’s practice squad, was a seventh-round draft pick by New England in 2018. He briefly moved to receiver before shifting back to quarterback.
He was one of the quarterbacks at last weekend’s rookie camp.
“He’s getting a ton of reps,” LaFleur said. “I think they’re super-valuable for him. Because when we all get back together in OTAs, Jordan is going to get the majority of the reps, so every rep that he gets throughout this rookie minicamp has been a great learning lesson for him.”
