Packers Target Threesome of QBs to Prepare for Life After Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers’ apparent disillusionment with the Green Bay Packers has dominated the NFL’s news cycle for roughly two weeks. On the first day of the 2021 NFL Draft, news broke that Rodgers was peeved with Packers brass, summoning an awkward showdown between himself, Green Bay’s general management, and the media.

So far, no one has blinked. Rodgers could return to Green Bay for 2021, building on his MVP season from 2020. Green Bay might trade Rodgers — probably to an AFC team — if the standstill remains. Or — the Packers could stubbornly suffocate his contract, disallowing Rodgers from playing anywhere. That may end in a Rodgers retirement.

There is no timetable for an endgame pertaining to this budding saga. Each day ushers in new rumors and theories about Rodgers’ feelings.

In the backdrop, Green Bay is targeting additional passers in the event a Rodgers exodus comes to fruition. A 1st-Rounder from the 2020 draft, Jordan Love, is the presumed frontrunner to landsthe QB1 assignment, but that will require a gigantic leap of faith for a player that looked underwhelming last season.

To fill out the roster for upcoming activities, the Packers are examining the following men to possibly accompany Love on the QB section of the depth chart.

Blake Bortles

Bortles was signed by the Packers on Wednesday, likely to compete for QB2 or QB3 (if Rodgers returns).

He was highly coveted in the 2014 NFL Draft, laying claim to third overall pick during that affair. Bortles lasted five seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars — even “leading” the franchise to an AFC Championship game during the 2017 season. The Jaguars were led by ferocious defense, disabling Bortles from truly accruing credit for the playoff run.

But the Jaguars gave the Central Florida alumnus another look in 2018. It didn’t end well. Cody Kessler took over down the stretch — all but ending the Bortles era.

After the AFC Championship appearance against the New England Patriots, the new Packers signal-caller is most remembered for quietly tossing 35 touchdown passes in 2015. That was second-most in the NFL that season — except nobody cared because Jacksonville finished 5-11. However, he did exhibit the statline of a bonafide QB1 (4,428 passing yards, 35 TDs, 18 INTs), creating a bit of excitement for his progression.

In the end, Jacksonville say no thanks instead turning to Nick Foles, Gardner Minshew II, and now Trevor Lawrence thereafter.

Chad Kelly

This one might have a bit of name recognition as his uncle is former Buffalo Bills quarterback, Jim Kelly. The nephew, Chad, also made national headlines in 2018 when he purportedly broke into a stranger’s home, sat on the couch, and began talking in a disjointed manner. He was employed by the Denver Broncos at the time, but head boss John Elway wanted nothing to do with such tomfoolery and cut Kelly soon after.

Kelly has never attempted a pass in the NFL. He did see action for Denver in one game during 2018, rushing the football one time for a negative gain. Kelly was the final pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, classifying himself with the “Mr. Irrelevant” title while spending time with the Indianapolis Colts in addition to the Broncos. To date, Kelly’s magnum opus is a 2016 Sugar Bowl MVP award after a win by his Ole Miss Rebels over the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Kelly will try out with the Packers.

Kurt Benkert

Less is known about this gentleman (another man that will audition in Green Bay). The 25-year-old is from Baltimore, Maryland, and he had a decent collegiate career at the University of Virginia. So far, Benkert has been a practice squad personality for the Atlanta Falcons but has yet to experience any in-game NFL action. At 6’4″ and 215 pounds, Benkert has prototypical quarterback size — he just hasn’t earned a chance to sniff a real game yet.

Depending on how events transpire involving Rodgers, Bortles, Kelly, and Benkert could duke it out for QB2 and QB3 on the Packers 2021 roster. If Rodgers does renege, that likely leaves a Rodgers-Love-Bortles combo on the 2021 depth chart.

Should the summer goes pear-shaped in Green Bay for Love, Bortles, Kelly, or Benkert — other free-agent quarterbacks like Robert Griffin III, Sean Mannion, Matt Moore, Colin Kaepernick, Brett Hundley, and Nick Mullens are also available.