Green Bay Packers: NFC North QB grades and rankings
4. Mike Glennon
At just over 6-foot-7 with the build of a pipe cleaner, the freckle-faced Glennon might not look the part of a franchise leading man, but the fourth-year pro has an NFL arm that can make just about any throw.
Yes, the man can spin it and he demonstrated flashes of his potential during his rookie year as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer during a disastrous 4-12 season in 2013.
In his 13 starts, the towering signal caller tossed a respectable 19 touchdowns and 9 interceptions while occasionally displaying the ability to read defenses.
Glennon’s flaws emerged under pressure, as he completed only 43.3-percent of his passes while under duress, according to PFF.
However, the North Carolina State product didn’t embarrass himself and, in fact, almost led his team to an improbable win versus the mighty Seahawks on the road that year in a 27-24 overtime thriller.
The fact that the Bears signed him to a 3-year deal averaging a sub-par $14.5 million per year for starting quarterbacks indicates that GM Ryan Pace and company probably viewed the one-time third-round pick as nothing more than a “hold the fort” option behind center all along.
Did Glennon get a raw deal with the Bears trading up for Mitchell Trubisky? I would say so, but this may be his only shot to prove his worth as a starter even if he is auditioning for another organization.
This is no time for him to sulk and cry the blues.
The 27-year-old is reportedly a studious professional that is constantly analyzing film to sharpen his skills.
One of his major shortcomings, ironically, stems from his overly analytical nature, as evidenced by the way he’ll overthink things and take a tick too long to uncork a pass.
PFF had Glennon averaging 3.00 seconds before getting rid of the football, which puts him in the bottom rung among his peers.
Though many are forecasting 2017 to be a redshirt year for Trubisky, a bad stretch of games on the part of Glennon and the offense will have media members and fans alike clamoring for the coaching staff to take their prized rookie out of bubble wrap.
History tells us that an outcry for change will usually force an organization to satisfy the public’s demands, which will be hard to ignore once the Bears inevitably fall out of contention.
Glennon must be impervious to pressure and the resident boo-birds that are ready to pounce on him at the first hint of incompetence.
Working in his favor are an interior offensive line that earned high grades in their ability to pass protect last season due to the acquisition of former Packer Josh Sitton, who surrendered a mere 6 quarterback hurries, along with the presence of the versatile Kyle Long at the other guard position.
With improved play out of their tackles, Glennon’s slow feet won’t be quite the liability most anticipate.
And, unlike Bradford, Glennon should also benefit from the presence of one of the top young power backs in second-year pro Jordan Howard.
The options in the receiver corps are unproven, but continued improvement out of Cameron Meredith will be crucial, as well as Kevin White’s ability to stay on the field.
Six wins might be the high-water mark for the Bears this season, but the storylines emanating from a potential quarterback controversy will sure be fun to follow.
Grade: C-