Packers training camp preview: Who wins the QB battle?
By Andrew Cox
When the Green Bay Packers open training camp in late July, an important battle will take place at the quarterback position.
No, not the type of battle that will bring the same dramatics of a starting quarterback controversy like the Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, and other franchises will endure this season. These franchises could only dream of being in the same situation as that of the Green Bay Packers – having not only one of the best QBs but one of the best overall players in the NFL in Aaron Rodgers.
For the Packers, this is a battle they hope will bring about the peace of mind that they’ve been sorely missing in recent years when injuries have struck their star QB.
The same peace of mind that the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles were able to have last season when misfortune was cast upon Carson Wentz, who suffered a torn ACL. Enter in backup QB Nick Foles, who would go on to lead the team through the playoffs and come out the other side a Super Bowl winner and MVP.
After the disastrous outcome of their 2017 season, due in large part to the poor play of backup quarterback Brett Hundley, the Packers decided a higher degree of importance and competition needed to be placed on their backup QB position. This resulted in the Packers trading away one of their starting defensive backs, Damarious Randall, to the Cleveland Browns for a guy the Packers showed interest in during the 2017 NFL Draft – the raw but talented DeShone Kizer.
The Packers wouldn’t have made such a drastic move if they didn’t have a high level of confidence that Kizer would come in and win the backup position. And with the Packers typically allocating only two of their roster spots to QBs, a tremendous amount of pressure is on Hundley to prove that last season was the type of experience he needed to make a major leap in his development this offseason.
While seemingly a two-man race for the backup position, undrafted rookie Tim Boyle will also have a chance to showcase his talents, but unless he has a stellar camp, he figures to be more in play for a spot on the practice squad than with the active roster.
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Regardless of who comes out on top of this backup battle by training camps end, the Packers will expect to have finally found a capable option that can give them the comfort they so desperately need.