Can Sean Clifford Win The Backup QB Job?

The Green Bay Packers are making a quarterback change for the first time in 15 years.

They’ll have the youngest wide receiver group in the National Football League and could lean heavily on a pair of rookie tight ends.

After having a veteran roster the last several years, the Packers figure to be one of the league’s youngest teams this fall. And that means several jobs will be wide open when training camp begins on July 26.

Forbes is examining several of the positional battles that await. Today we look at the No. 2 quarterback job.

No. 2 quarterback

Sean Clifford vs. Danny Etling vs. Others

The Packers took Clifford in the fifth round of April’s draft and he’ll be given every chance to win the backup job.

Clifford broke virtually every passing record during a highly productive career at Penn State, including passing yards (10,382), passing touchdowns (84), pass attempts (1,335), completion percentage (.612) and completions (817).

Clifford fell to the fifth round, though, largely due to a lack of arm strength and overall inconsistency.

“We really like what he brings to the table,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said of Clifford. “Obviously he started a lot of games in the Big Ten, has a lot of experience, really good athlete, liked his arm talent and we brought him in for a pre-draft visit and just really liked the makeup of the person. So I like that room right now and all those guys need reps so I think we’ll probably see how these guys do before we think about bringing in a veteran right away.”

Clifford more than held his own during recent OTA’s and mini-camps, though. He’s athletic (4.57 in the 40) and impressed many in the building with his timing and accuracy.

“He’s done some nice things,” Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said of Clifford. “He’s an NFL draft pick so he’s definitely a talented player.”

Etling, a 28-year-old playing for his eighth NFL team, is also in the mix.

Etling had a solid preseason last year and knows the system better than Clifford right now. But he’s never thrown an NFL pass or even taken a snap, for that matter.

“I think he kind of sees the game through the lens of almost a coach,” LaFleur said of Etling last summer. “You’ve seen the growth on a daily basis. Although he’s had limited reps, I feel like he’s maximized those when given those opportunities.”

If both players struggle during preseason, Gutekunst could go on the prowl for a street free agent. That unimpressive list currently is headlined by Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Teddy Bridgewater and Joe Flacco, so the Packers hope not to go that route.

Prediction

General manager Brian Gutekunst loves his draft picks.

So even though Etling has impressed since signing in Dec., 2021, Clifford could be tough to beat out if he has a solid summer.

“It’s all opportunity,” Clifford said during OTA’s. “Coach LaFleur put up yesterday, ‘Opportunity is either nowhere or now here.’ It’s really about the opportunity is now here. For all of us – not only myself, but the other guys in the class.

“Just being able to really come in and show the staff and the front office and the NFL what we did in college and how we’re going to get better in the NFL. I don’t look at it as pressure. I’m trying to focus on what I can do first and how I can help others. I really don’t look at it as I’m trying to win this, win that. I’m just trying to get better every single day.”

If that happens, Clifford is likely to be Green Bay’s No. 2 quarterback.