Who Backs Up Aaron Rodgers? | Ticket King Green Bay

Aaron Rodgers

Packers fans might argue that Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the league, maybe in league history. Some might look to that “fairly competent” quarterback in New England, but this post is about “A-Rod.” Although we fans hope that Rodgers will continue playing for years,  star quarterbacks need backups. Here are some of the men who have called themselves a backup quarterback to Aaron Rodgers over the years.

Brian Brohm- In 2008, as Aaron Rodgers went into his first off season preparing for the Packers staring quarterback job, Ted Thompson drafted not one, but two quarterbacks. The first was in round two, when he selected Brian Brohm out of Louisville. In fact, there were some at the time who thought that Brohm would eventually end up as the Packers long term solution. Yeah, that didn't happen. Brohm was released by the end of his second season, and signed a contract with the Bills. After washing out of Buffalo he bounced around the Canadian Football League before retiring in 2015. Brohm is now the offensive coordinator of the Purdue Boilermakers.

Matt Flynn- The second of those two draft choices is the most famous Rodgers backup to date. The Packers took Flynn in round seven in 2008. In limited play with the Packers, Flynn showed a lot of promise, and in the 2012 off season signed a big free agent contract with the Seattle Seahawks. He was released at the end of the season, and signed with the Raiders to begin the following season. After being released, signing with Buffalo, and being released again, Flynn came home to Green Bay, where he immediately stepped in and started in place of the injured Aaron Rodgers, doing just enough to keep the Packers afloat until Rodgers returned, including one of the most incredible comebacks in sports history in Dallas. Rodgers returned in week 17, and with the Packers season on the line, delivered “4th and Great.”

Graham Harrell- Maybe the most criticized Rodgers backup to date, Harrell was signed as a street free agent in 2010. Harrell never got his feet on the ground, and was released at the end of training camp in 2013. He is currently the offensive coordinator of the North Texas Mean Green.

Seneca Wallace- His time with the Packers was short and forgotten. He signed at the end of training camp in 2013 as a favor to Mike Holmgren and Ted Thomson even though he wanted to retire. He took over on Monday night in Chicago when Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone, and the next week lasted all of six plays before getting knocked out of the game. Truth be told, I think they made up his season ending IR injury because he just flat out didn't want to be there, and it showed.  

Scott Tolzien- This former Badger was on Ted Thompson's radar for a long time before Thompson finally got his hands on him as a street free agent following the end of NFL training camp in 2013. He started a couple of games for the Packers when Rodgers broke his collarbone, and he showed a lot of promise, but he just wasn't ready yet. Fast forward two years, and he looked like a much different quarterback. He currently backs up Andrew Luck in Indianapolis.

Brett Hundley- This is the most talented Rodgers backup to date. Hundley at one time was considered to be a number one overall draft choice in the making. During his time at UCLA, he showed it to. For two and a half quarters, he played like a number one overall draft choice. However, one little thing went wrong, and next thing you know he turned the ball over four times in 12 minutes. It appears the Packers have corrected these mental issues, and they are going to fetch a hefty ransom for him via trade next off season

Packers At Bears Preview | Rodgers' Play Is Key To Upcoming Game At Chicago

After 16 well documented weeks, it all comes down to one game. This Packers season has been one that fans will never forget. With the season and the division on the line, the big news coming out of Green Bay this week is that All-Pro quarterback will return to the lineup on Sunday against the Bears, the very team that injured him to begin with. So how does this affect the Packers going into this game?

We all know that Rodgers has not played since week nine when he broke his collarbone against the Chicago Bears. Since that moment, the Packers are 2-5-1 with Seneca Wallace, Scott Tolzien, and Matt Flynn each getting a chance. The question is how will Rodgers look? Will he be rusty? How will the injury affect his play? Even if he is rusty, an 80% Aaron Rodgers is still much better than each of the three quarterbacks who played in his absence. Nothing against those three, it is just that there are things Rodgers can do and does, that those three simply can not. For the moment, let’s pretend Rodgers is 100% and ready to go. How does this change the Packers offense compared to how the other three have been running it? 

Rodgers Brings Another Dimension To Packers Offense

One of the many things that Rodgers can do that they can’t is run the Packers no-huddle offense to begin with. With Wallace, Tolzien, and Flynn, everything has to be pre-determined before the snap, even with Flynn. Those three were not and should not be given any time at the line of scrimmage to do anything. Rodgers meanwhile gets a formation and a package, that’s it. Everything else is up to him. With those other three, the vertical passing game is not an option. With Rodgers in the lineup, there is not one inch of the field that is not an option for the Packers offense.

 A much underrated aspect of the game that Rodgers does that those other three can’t have to do with his athleticism. When he starts moving around, especially outside of the pocket, Rodgers is perhaps the league’s most dangerous quarterback. Not because he is the most athletic quarterback in the league, but because he is plenty athletic enough to pick up big gains with his legs when he can’t throw the ball. That is the big part, when. Rodgers is the league’s best quarterback at throwing the ball while moving. His upper body torque allows him to do that. Final Score (Assuming Rodgers is not rusty): Packers 41, Bears 20.  

Who Should Be Packers Back Up Quarterback? | Should Green Bay Bring Back Flynn?

The Packers quarterback situation all of a sudden has turned into a circus with the injury to Aaron Rodgers. First, Seneca Wallace got the opportunity, but he didn't get the chance to see if he could be an effective replacement. He injured his groin in the first series, and had to leave Sunday’s game against the Eagles. He was replaced by Scott Tolzien who was recently promoted off of the practice squad. Tolzien played okay, and some fans think the Packers will be better off in the long run with Tolzien starting until Rodgers returns, then serving as his backup for the next few years. Still, the Packers are down to one quarterback, and they need to make a move. There is a certain quarterback who is out there named Matt Flynn. Remember him? Well, there is speculation all of a sudden that he will return to Green Bay. But, is signing him such a good idea?

Sign Matt Flynn: Flynn was once a highly touted backup in Green Bay and seemed to be heading for a long term gig as a starter somewhere in the NFL. First he went to Seattle, but was outplayed for the starting job by the former Wisconsin Badgers Russell Wilson. This offseason, he went to Oakland and lost out on the starting job to Terrell Pryor. Flynn was promptly cut after just a few weeks. Flynn then went to Buffalo, where he (again) didn’t play and was cut after just a couple of weeks there. He knows Mike McCarthy’s system, and has played well for them in the past. Unlike Scott Tolzien, he would be somewhat of a known commodity. Signing him would make sense, even as just a backup until Rodgers returns.

Don’t Sign Matt Flynn: If the Packers were to sign Matt Flynn, this would be his third team during the 2013 REGULAR SEASON. That is three completely different offensive playbooks to learn in a span of just a couple of months. That is bound to confuse him a little, and that would not be good if he were to be trying to execute a two-minute drill with the game on the line. There is a reason though as to why he has been three different teams the last two years, and this is coming out recently. Ever since he went to Seattle, he has developed a reputation as someone who isn’t putting in the work anymore. In other words, he has become a 9-5 guy. That won’t get you very far in the NFL. Signing Flynn would be a mistake. There is also some talk of a sore throwing elbow issue, but we don’t have enough on that just yet.  The team has to find a reliable back up that isn't soon to be an injured NFL player. 

We would say do not sign Flynn. He has been in too many places since he left Green Bay and has developed a reputation as a slacker at times. We say sign a rookie to the practice squad. Groin injuries do not take that long to heal and Wallace will be fine backing up Tolzien until Rodgers returns.