Packers 2020 offseason position review: Quarterbacks
Following 2019, we review the Green Bay Packers’ quarterback position.
With the 2019 season complete and the offseason here, it’s a good time to review the year position by position for the Green Bay Packers.
We’ll look back at the season and ahead to what’s next this spring and into the 2020 season.
The first review is the quarterbacks.
2019 season review
The 2018 season was considered a down year for Aaron Rodgers. He dealt with a knee injury for most of the year and the Packers struggled, winning only six games. Despite the improvements the team made this season, statistically, Rodgers had a very similar year.
While it’s fair to say he improved on his 2018 performance, Rodgers still held onto the ball too long and uncharacteristically overthrew or underthrew his receivers too often, mistakes he rarely used to make.
Rodgers finished the season with 4,002 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and four interceptions. That’s still an excellent year. But compare that to 2018, when he threw for 4,442 yards, 25 touchdowns and two interceptions.
Rodgers also averaged more yards per pass in 2018 and had more rushing yards.
On the flip side of that, Rodgers was in the first year of a new offense. He also didn’t have a strong receiving corps after losing Randall Cobb in free agency. Equanimeous St. Brown missed the entire year due to injury, and Davante Adams also missed four games due to a toe injury, which he dealt with even after returning.
At his best, Rodgers is still among the top passers in the NFL. He put on a show against the Oakland Raiders, earning a perfect passer rating for the first time in his career. He is still highly accurate, reads the game as well as anyone and takes care of the football. Rodgers tilts the field the Packers’ way more often than not.
But it’s also fair to say his prime years are behind him.
What’s next in 2020?
Rodgers is still the most important player on the roster and that will continue in 2020. Entering the second season in Matt LaFleur’s system, the expectations will be high for No. 12.
There are two questions for the quarterback position in Green Bay this offseason.
The first is whether the Packers will look to upgrade the backup position. Tim Boyle didn’t need to play any significant snaps during the regular season, but the Packers may want to bring in a veteran who can cover in the event of a Rodgers injury. Could the Packers look to bring in Marcus Mariota, Teddy Bridgewater or Case Keenum to be the backup if they aren’t offered a starting job elsewhere?
Question two is whether Green Bay will begin the process of looking to the future. Rodgers will turn 37 next season. When will be the ideal time to draft his eventual replacement to let sit and learn behind him for a few years? Is this offseason too early?
Time will tell. The only answer we truly know right now is that Rodgers will lead this team again in 2020.