The Green Bay Packers, at least on paper, are one of the most complete teams in the NFL. That is to say, they are if their young players all play the way that they are expected to. Sure, the offensive line has a question mark or two, but those are more in regard to what player will play where on the line. The Packers have so many versatile linemen that the only real challenge is finding the best fit for their best five.
Defensively, there are some questions about their secondary and linebacker units, but with safety and linebacker being points of emphasis in the 2024 NFL Draft. In fact, PFF recently ranked the Packers’ secondary as the seventh-best in the NFL in their preseason positional rankings.
One position, though, that is free of question marks is the quarterback position. Jordan Love firmly entrenched himself as the future of the franchise of the position last year by putting up the best first year by a starting quarterback in franchise history.
Of course, there is the backup quarterback position battle to watch between Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt. Another NFL analyst, though, believes Green Bay should look elsewhere for Love’s backup.
NFL Analyst Wants the Green Bay Packers to Sign Former Pro Bowl Quarterback Ryan Tannehill
In a recent article posted by Pro Football Network, NFL analyst Lorenzo Reyna suggests that the Packers sign former Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill to be Love’s backup:
“No, this isn’t a possible replacement for QB1 Jordan Love. However, Love and the Packers will need someone reliable in case he goes down.
“Ryan Tannehill gives immediate assurance if brought in — with a past as a Pro Bowler, a playoff QB, and a backup.”
Last season, Tannehill played in 10 games (eight starts) for the Titans, with a completion percentage of 64.8%, 1,616 passing yards, four touchdowns, seven interceptions, and a passer rating of 78.5.
Now a free agent, no team that has been in need of a starting or backup quarterback has looked into signing Tannehill. One has to wonder why so many analysts think the Packers should, especially considering their history of backup quarterbacks.
The Green Bay Packers Are Happy with Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt as Their Two Options to Be Jordan Love’s Backup Quarterback
In Love’s first season as the start, the Packers drafted Sean Clifford to be his backup. If they were worried about needing a veteran quarterback to be his backup, they would have taken that step last offseason.
This mirrors what they did with Aaron Rodgers, too, when he took over from Brett Favre. They drafted two quarterbacks in 2008, the year Rodgers was named the starter: Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn.
Throughout their recent run of great quarterback play, the Packers have rarely signed veteran quarterbacks to serve as their primary backup. An exception, of course, was Jim McMahon serving as Favre’s backup the year that they won the Super Bowl.
Other than that, the Packers have always believed in drafting and developing quarterbacks. They successfully did this with future NFL stars Matt Hasselbeck, Mark Burnell, and Aaron Brooks.
In other words, adding a veteran as their backup is just not what the Packers do. If Tannehill does find a team that wants in 2024, it will not be in Green Bay.
