QB3 or Not QB3, That Is the Question

GREEN BAY, Wis. – When Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst selects his initial 53-man roster on Aug. 31, one of his many dilemmas will be at quarterback.

What will he do with Kurt Benkert?

“That’s a tough question,” Benkert said.

In playing most of Saturday’s 23-14 loss to the New York Jets, Benkert showed why he should be on that 53-man roster or, at least, wind up on the practice squad. And he also showed why maybe the Packers need to find a better developmental option to place behind Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love.

The good with Benkert is obvious. He has NFL talent. This isn’t some guy with physical limitations. He can make all the throws. He can get out of the pocket when pressured. He can create on the move. He can overcome mistakes made by those around him. Those aren’t just NFL-caliber traits. Those are NFL traits, period.

On Green Bay’s opening drive, Benkert escaped the pocket and threw a 23-yard strike to Malik Taylor at the sideline. That was a big-time throw. On the third drive, he was tripped twice by rookie right guard Royce Newman and fell on his butt. Plus, Lucas Patrick was guilty of two holding penalties. And yet, Benkert worked his magic and got the Packers into the end zone. His throws on that drive converted four third downs and one fourth down. His 21-yard completion on a back-shoulder throw to Taylor on third-and-5 was excellent, as was his third-and-4 touchdown to Jace Sternberger. That work was done primarily against New York’s starting defense.

Kurt Benkert goes through pregame warmups.

Benkert surveys the Jets' defense on Saturday.

Benkert escapes the pocket.

Benkert catches the shotgun snap and tries to find a receiver.

Benkert steps up in the pocket and unloads a pass vs. New York.

Benkert was 18-of-25 passing vs. the Jets.

Benkert drops the shotgun snap but Kylin Hill is there to save the day.

Benkert was charged with a fumble on the play.

Benkert threw one touchdown and one interception.

Benkert unloads the ball vs. the Jets.

Benkert played all but one series on Saturday.

Other moments showed that Benkert isn’t good enough for the job. And, considering this is his fourth year in the NFL and he spent those first three years behind Atlanta Falcons star Matt Ryan, it’s fair to wonder if Benkert is who he is and he really isn’t a developmental player at this stage of his career.

On the first play of the second possession of the second half, the shotgun snap went right through his hands. Fortunately for Benkert, rookie running back Kylin Hill showed incredible awareness to catch the ball and prevent disaster. In the words of coach Matt LaFleur, Benkert “airmailed” the interception that was intended for running back Patrick Taylor. Last week, he threw the ill-advised interception. Turnovers will kill a team; of 28 qualifying quarterbacks, Benkert has the fifth-highest interception percentage in the NFL.

Benkert’s final six possessions against the Jets resulted in zero points. Some of that is out of his hands, obviously. It was Malik Taylor who dropped a third-down pass late in the first half. It was Patrick Taylor who fumbled on the first play of the second half. It was the offensive line and/or Dexter Williams who failed to convert a fourth-and-1 from the Jets’ 25 in the fourth quarter.

Still, the quarterback’s job is to put points on the scoreboard. In 14 opportunities, he’s done it twice.

Matt LaFleur with the most simple of requests when the offense is on the field. It’s one no doubt co-signed by Aaron Rodgers, who has said the same thing. https://t.co/116e8Q5vPX
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 22, 2021

The Benkert decision will be more important than it might appear on the surface. Remember, there’s no guarantee Aaron Rodgers will be coming back in 2022. That would elevate Jordan Love into the starting role. Who will be the No. 2? If, at the end of the preseason, the Packers believe Benkert could be good enough to be one play away from being in a game or multiple games in 2022, then he needs to make the 53 and not risk losing him on waivers. If not – if the Packers see a 26-year-old quarterback who’s at about the end of his developmental rope – then it must be time to move on.

Ultimately, this will be the decision: Is there a better option available now – Josh Rosen, the 10th pick in 2018, is available again – or will there be after roster cuts? Having the right person in place will give him the full season to get comfortable so he can hit the ground running next offseason and training camp. That doesn’t mean the team will be wedded to whoever spends the season as the No. 3 quarterback, that it can’t sign or draft one next offseason. But growing those roots in the offense will be a big advantage.

“I think for me there’s nuances of the offense that show up that don’t really come up unless you go through it and you make that mistake or, ‘Hey, we want you to get a little wider in this path,’ or, ‘Hey, stagger your feet a little more so you can get the ball quicker on this play,’” Benkert said. “There’s little things that show up that, if you’re not getting the reps and messing it up, then you don’t really know to fix it. For me, I learn by making mistakes. I try not to make the same mistake twice, so for me that has really helped me speed up this week, getting all these reps.”

With 59 snaps of learning experiences against the Jets, Saturday’s performance appeared to be a rather large step in the right direction for Benkert.

“I’m thankful for it,” Benkert said of playing just about six full quarters the last two weeks. “Obviously, it’s under a bad circumstance with Jordan dealing with an injury and this being a big preseason for him, too. But the same thing goes. I’m going to be ready for my opportunity, and I’m going to keep preparing like I’m the guy and always be ready and just show I can operate and do my job.”

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