Packers Release Quarterback Danny Etling
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers released quarterback Danny Etling on Tuesday with the hope that they’ll be able to sign him to their 16-man practice squad on Wednesday.
Working behind Jordan Love for all three preseason games, Etling finished the exhibition slate with a 123.3 passer rating and 77.3 percent completion rate. Had he thrown enough passes to qualify among the league leaders, he would have finished second in rating and first in accuracy. He added a 51-yard touchdown run vs. the Saints.
After Monday’s practice, an uneasy wait began.
“A lot of that is out of my control at this point,” Etling said. “I was really happy with how I played. I think I played well enough to be a part of a team. It’s my belief that I belong in the NFL and will be on a roster in some sense, and it’s my job to continue to be ready. Regardless of what the team decides, I’d love to be here, and obviously I’d love to be No. 3, but that one’s out of my control. So, it’s about continuing my growth as a quarterback and continue getting ready for the season, because you never know when you’re needed, and you want to step up and deliver.”
With that, the Packers will go into a third consecutive season with Aaron Rodgers and Love as the quarterbacks.
“He’s a gym rat. And that’s what you’ve got to be when you’re a backup quarterback and fighting for a spot on the active roster,” Rodgers said. “He’s obviously talented athletically. I mean, you’ve seen that. He’s thoughtful. He asks a lot of questions. Good questions, and he’s always asking the ‘why,’ and the ‘why’ is so important to figure things out in this league because once you know the ‘why,’ then you start to be able to put together the real football. He’s a really good addition to the room.”
As a rookie seventh-round pick with the New England Patriots in 2018, Etling had an 86-yard touchdown run. A year later, after a year of seasoning on the practice squad, he was ready to compete for a spot on the roster.
Instead, Bill Belichick moved him to receiver. On the first day of training camp, no less.
“Unfortunately, they told me the first day of camp that I was moving, so I didn’t have a whole lot of time to prepare,” Etling said. “My first day of camp my second year, they said, ‘Hey, we need help in the receiver room.’ I said, ‘OK, sure, I’ll help out today.’ Out of nowhere, the next thing I knew, I was answering questions about switching to receiver. I was like, ‘I haven’t really prepped for this.’ I think things might have gone differently if I had even an offseason to prepare.”
Etling hadn’t played receiver in his life. He didn’t stay one for long. The Patriots released him a couple weeks into camp. The Falcons claimed him off waivers and he moved back to quarterback. He spent the 2019 season on Atlanta’s practice squad and the 2020 season on Seattle’s practice squad.
He bounced around a bit last year, including a brief stint on Green Bay’s practice squad. After the season, the Packers signed him to a futures contract. A few months later, they released Kurt Benkert, opening the door for Etling to be the third quarterback.
“I think I definitely put my best foot forward out there in a lot of senses of what I was trying to accomplish,” Etling said. “Really played well in the games despite limited reps in practice. I actually attribute that to the mental preparation and some of the training that’s been available to me here. That’s been tremendous. I’ve been waiting for some time now to be able to go out and show it in a game setting, and it’s been awhile since I got to play in a preseason game. I wanted to go out there and show everybody how much I’ve been working and how much it translates, and I thought I was able to do that.”
Etling will be with some team on Wednesday. Will it be with the Packers on their practice squad? Or will he be claimed on waivers and get perhaps a better opportunity elsewhere? Whatever the opportunity, the 28-year-old has put himself in a good spot.
“It’s my belief that I belong in the NFL and will be on a roster in some sense, and it’s my job to continue to be ready,” he said. “Regardless of what the team decides, I’d love to be here, and obviously I’d love to be No. 3, but that one’s out of my control. So, it’s about continuing my growth as a quarterback and continue getting ready for the season, because you never know when you’re needed, and you want to step up and deliver.”
