As the Green Bay Packers prepare for their first preseason game of the season, all eyes are going to be on the quarterback position. Everyone wants to see how Jordan Love looks as the team’s new starting quarterback, taking over the spot from future Hall of Famer, Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers was traded to the New York Jets this offseason to try and elevate them to Super Bowl contenders. The Packers, on the other hand, are just looking to develop some of their younger players and set the franchise on a better path for the future.
While all eyes will be on Love, he isn’t the only quarterback storyline that the Packers have. The No. 2 job behind him is actually one of their biggest training camp battles this offseason.
2019 seventh-rounder Danny Etling and 2023 fifth-rounder Sean Clifford started the offseason as the participants. USFL MVP Alex McGough was signed before training camp, making this a three-man race. However, it is now back to two as Etling was released last week.
The joint practices and preseason games that the Packers participate in the rest of training camp will be very important for those two as they play for their roster spots. However, it wouldn’t be shocking if Green Bay looked to bring in an experienced option behind Love.
Should anything happen to Love, with the current makeup of their roster, the Packers’ season would be effectively over. It is hard to imagine Clifford or McGough instilling much confidence in the organization or fan base were they to be forced into starting games.
That is a big reason why Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report suggested the Packers as a landing spot for Daivs Mills should the Houston Texans look to move him. Mills, despite being benched during the 2022 season and having a 5-19-1 career record, would be an excellent addition to many quarterback rooms.
Despite the rough working conditions with the Texans, as they had arguably the weakest roster in the NFL the last two seasons, Mills produced at a respectable level since being drafted in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. The Packers, and anyone looking for some depth, could certainly do worse than the Stanford product.
Any team that acquires Mills knows that he can step into the starting lineup and play competent football. A backup isn’t expected to be a savior should the starter go down; they just have to keep the offense afloat and that is something Mills has shown more than capable of doing.
If Clifford or McGough fail to separate themselves, Mills presents an intriguing option for the Packers. It likely wouldn’t cost much to acquire him and being on his rookie contract, he won’t break the bank salary cap-wise, either.
