Players under contract:
No. Name Ht Wt Age Exp. College Acquired
12 Aaron Rodgers 6-2 220 26 5 California D1-05
10 Matt Flynn 6-2 224 24 2 LSU D7a-08
13 Chris Pizzotti 6-5 226 23 R Harvard FA-09
Unrestricted free agents:
None
Restricted free agents:
None
The good news: Rodgers was terrific in his second season as a starter, completing 350 of 541 passes (64.7 percent) for 4,434 yards with 30 touchdowns, seven interceptions and 50 sacks for a passer rating of 103.2. He finished the season ranked fourth in the NFL in passing yards (only Lynn Dickey, with 4,458 yards in 1983, threw for more in a single season in Packers history); fourth in touchdown passes; fourth in quarterback rating; ninth in completion percentage; first in interception percentage (1.3%), and tied first in 40-plus yard passes (17). His passer rating of 103.2 is the second-best single-season mark in franchise history, behind Bart Starrs 105.0 in 1966 (min. 200 attempts), and his third-down passer rating of 133.5 led the NFL. He also ran for 316 yards and five TDs, adding a valuable and unpredictable element to the passing game. Earning his first Pro Bowl berth, Rodgers has the makings of an elite quarterback as long as he is healthy, and hes shown good durability in starting 33 straight games (including playoffs).
The bad news: Losing third-stringer Brian Brohm off the practice squad when he signed to the Buffalo Bills 53-man roster on Nov. 19 hardly qualified as a major loss. Brohm had been a disappointment in his two training camps with the Packers, and he played poorly in his one late-season start with the Bills. He may amount to something in the NFL someday, but it appears unlikely at this point. Nevertheless, squandering a 2008 second-round pick the one the Packers received from the Cleveland Browns for franchise-tagged defensive tackle Corey Williams was a waste. Worse yet, the Packers signed Mike Reilly to replace him on the practice squad, only to lose Reilly to the St. Louis Rams 53-man roster shortly thereafter. The end result? While the Harvard-educated Pizzoti finished the season on the practice squad, theres no true developmental prospect in the mix.
The big question: Will Flynn eventually be trade bait? Flynn showed significant growth from Year 1, when as a seventh-round pick he soundly beat out Brohm in training camp, to Year 2, when Brohm never really challenged him, even though Flynn missed the final two preseason games with a shoulder injury. At this point, Flynn is a solid backup the Packers undoubtedly have more confidence in him playing if Rodgers suffered a serious injury than they had in him as a rookie after his poor performance at Tampa Bay and probably sint going anywhere. Nevertheless, having led LSU to a national title, the confident Flynn believes he can start in the NFL someday, and the Packers have a track record of trading away up-and-coming backups (Mark Brunell, Aaron Brooks, Matt Hasselbeck) who went on to become starters elsewhere. It may not be this summer, but Flynn could draw interest from a quarterback-poor team in the not-too-distant future.
Offseason outlook: The Packers dont figure to be in the market for a quarterback when free agency starts on March 5, when Washingtons Jason Campbell, Denvers Kyle Orton, Miamis Chad Pennington, Carolinas Matt Moore, the New York Jets Kellen Clemens and Minnesotas Tarvaris Jackson figure to be the headliners on the market. (The only QB on that list that isnt a restricted free agent under the new CBA rules is Pennington, who as a 10-year veteran will be unrestricted). Having gone with just two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster last year, theres no reason to think they feel the need to add a veteran arm behind Rodgers. But its a safe bet that the Packers will use one of their picks in the April 22-24 NFL Draft on a developmental quarterback. It wont be a high pick Oklahomas Sam Bradford and Notre Dames Jimmy Clausen are the top two QBs in the draft class but expect a QB on Day 3. (Thats right, the draft is a three-day affair this year.)