Packers Will Need New Quarterback on Practice Squad

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers will not be signing Taylor Elgersma or Sean Clifford to their practice squad, sources told Packers On SI on Wednesday.

That means the Packers will be looking to the outside for a quarterback behind Jordan Love and Malik Willis. There was a report that the Packers would be signing former University of Houston star Clayton Tune, who was drafted in the fifth round by the Cardinals in 2023, but Tune has to pass through waivers, first.

Elgersma, who won the Canadian equivalent of the Heisman Trophy last year, showed plenty of potential and received “very good feedback” but didn’t advance far enough, fast enough and was released in Tuesday’s cutdown.

Clifford also was released on Tuesday.

As for Elgersma, he will have opportunities elsewhere, whether it’s in the NFL or back in Canada, where he was a second-round draft pick in this year’s draft. The NFL, however, is where he’d prefer to be.

“The most important thing is I focus day by day on getting better, but I do think that I have a high ceiling,” Elgersma told Packers On SI recently. “If I can keep developing and keep spending time here, I can turn into a guy that can play on Sundays and give our team a chance to win every single time I’m out there.

“Obviously, that’s a step-by-step thing and my mindset’s on getting better each and every day so that I can develop and be a guy that you can bring in and compete for a series in a game and, ultimately, for a whole season. But I do think that I have a high ceiling that if you give me a little bit of runway, I can turn into something.”

Elgersma went undrafted and unsigned this year. He accepted Green Bay’s invitation for a tryout at the rookie camp, where he won a spot on the offseason roster.

Elgersma led the Packers in completion percentage, yards per attempt and passer rating in the preseason. His 104.6, for what it’s worth, was better than the combined marks of Love (39.6) and Willis (61.3).

“I think Taylor’s done a great job,” Love said last week. “I think Taylor’s a really smart guy, he’s picked up the offense very well, and he’s done some good things on the field. The transition from Canada ball to American ball is definitely not easy. I think he’s done a great job at it, I think he’s getting better with every rep he’s getting and just learning and growing, so I think he’s done a good job.”

Clifford was a fifth-round pick in 2023. He was Love’s backup as a rookie but failed to take a step forward during a mistake-plagued 2024. So, the Packers released Clifford and rookie Michael Pratt and signed Willis, with Clifford spending the year on the practice squad.

“I think that I’m a really good quarterback,” Clifford said after the preseason. “I’m really proud of the work that I put in with Green Bay so far. I’m very positive and I’m very confident about my abilities. So, we’ll see what happens.”

While it didn’t show up in the numbers in the preseason, as he completed only 9-of-17 passes for 44 yards with a 58.7 rating, he felt he had taken a step forward. He noticeably had cut back on the ill-advised passes at practice.

“Year 1, you’re kind of just out there just running plays,” Clifford said recently. “Sometimes you don’t know the rhyme or reason and you’re just kind of going out there trying to produce whatever you can. Year 2, I think, for me personally and I think for a lot of quarterbacks, it’s a year of overthinking.

“You know everything now and now you’re thinking too much and it’s going to make you slow on reads, slow to say yes to something. And then Year 3, I think, is a perfect combination of all those things. Gutey is one that even says that. Year 3 is one where you should see a major spike, and I feel like in the games I’ve gotten into so far, I’ve felt extremely comfortable. Feel like I’m seeing the field really well.”

Whoever the Packers select for the practice squad, they will feel good about the one-two punch of Love and Willis. Willis went from a third-round disappointment with the Titans to a three-game winner for the Packers in the blink of an eye.

Willis will give the Packers one of the better backups in the league.

“I think the big thing is just operation, command of our offense” compared to last year, quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion said recently. “You can see when he’s in there the operation has been smooth.

“What he has athletically, his athletic gifts and arm talent just really is unique and can’t be taught. I think just moving forward, continuing to get more and more comfortable with the rhythm and timing with our offense. But where he was last year to now, leaps and bounds ahead and he’s continuing to grow that way.”

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