GREEN BAY — Seven years after general manager Ted Thompson's interest was piqued by quarterback Vince Young, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft is indeed a member of the Green Bay Packers.
The team had not announced the signing as of Monday evening, but an NFL source confirmed a bevy of reports that had Young signing a one-year deal after working out for the team Monday.
Young joins a quarterback room of starter Aaron Rodgers, backup Graham Harrell and third-stringer B.J. Coleman, who struggled mightily in the team's annual Family Night Scrimmage on Saturday, throwing a pair of interceptions.
In 2006, both Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy, then in his first season as Packers coach, praised Young at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. They also refused to rule out the possibility of drafting Young with the fifth overall pick that year, even though Brett Favre was still the team's starter and Rodgers had been taken with the 24th overall pick only one year earlier.
After Young's on-campus workout, Thompson famously said, "If you have a chance to get Michael Jordan, you get Michael Jordan."
Young, who went to Tennessee at No. 3 instead, never quite had a Jordanesque career. The now 30-year-old Young spent five up-and-down seasons with the Titans before spending a year in Philadelphia backing up Michael Vick in 2011. Young signed with the Buffalo Bills last season but was released Aug. 27 after the team acquired Tarvaris Jackson from the Seattle Seahawks. He then spent the year out of football.
In 50 career starts, he is 31-19 as a starter and has completed 755 of 1,304 passes (57.9 percent) for 8,964 yards with 46 touchdowns and 51 interceptions (74.4 passer rating). He also has 282 career carries for 1,459 yards (5.2-yard average) and 12 touchdowns.
The Packers return to practice after canceling Monday's session with an 8:20 a.m. workout Tuesday at Ray Nitschke Field. The practice is open to the public, weather permitting.
Jason Wilde wrote: