One of the training camp battles that the Green Bay Packers had this offseason was at quarterback. Jordan Love was locked in as the starter but there was a competition to see who his backup would be entering the season.
Many people thought that the Packers would benefit from adding a veteran option to the depth chart. Coming into training camp, not a single quarterback on the roster behind Love had thrown a regular season pass in the NFL.
Rookie fifth-round pick Sean Clifford and 2019 seventh-round pick Danny Etling were battling it out. USFL MVP Alex McGough was eventually added to the mix, but he was behind the eight-ball joining the team in late July.
Once Etling was released, it looked as if this would be Clifford’s job to lose. He didn’t do anything in the two preseason games to loosen his grip on the job, and things have now become official. The Penn State product will be the Packers’ backup quarterback to Love to start the 2023 season.
“I think it’s safe to say Sean is our No. 2 quarterback,” head coach Matt LaFleur said. “A lot of it is just his mental makeup. You saw it in the Cincinnati game in terms of his ability to rebound. The game’s not too big for him.”
LaFleur commended Clifford’s performance recently, praising the calmness that he has exuded even in the toughest of situations. The moment never seemed too big for Clifford, whether it was competitions in practice or preseason games.
In two preseason games against the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots, Clifford completed 33-of-45 pass attempts for 345 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Those are solid numbers given the circumstances Clifford faced working mostly with end-of-the-roster players who aren’t going to make the Packers’ 53-man roster.
Now the only thing left up in the air about the quarterback position is whether or not the Packers keep three players on the 53-man roster. McGough is the only other signal caller on the roster and smart money would be on him ending up on the practice squad unless another team claims him.
