The Green Bay Packers have reportedly signed quarterback Matt Flynn after he worked out for the team on Monday of this week. Flynn was originally drafted by the Packers in the seventh round of the 2008 draft and worked his way to being the team’s primary back up to Aaron Rodgers. Flynn would spend four seasons with the Packers before signing with the Seattle Seahawks prior to the 2012 season.
Penciled in as the Seahawks starter, Flynn was unseated in training camp by rookie Russell Wilson. From there, Flynn became a road warrior. After just a few backup appearances in Seattle, he was traded to the Oakland Raiders in April of this year. Flynn made one start in Oakland before being released when the team decided to go with Terrell Pryor at quarterback.
Flynn was picked up by the Buffalo Bills, but he was unable to crack his way up the depth chart and he was promptly released. There was much speculation as to why Flynn was unable to stick in either Oakland or Buffalo. Some pointed to issues with tendinitis in his elbow.
The Packers were thrust into a quarterback frenzy last week when Rodgers was injured and it became known that he would miss time. Backup Seneca Wallace finished the game against the Chicago Bears and started this past week’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. But just one series into the Eagles game, Wallace was forced out after suffering a groin injury.
Scott Tolzien finished the Eagles game and has been named the starter for the Packers this week against the New York Giants. With questions surrounding how effective Tolzien can be coupled with the unknown availability of Wallace, the Packers were once again forced to look for more reinforcement at quarterback.
Today it is being reported that Wallace is likely headed to season-ending injured reserve. The Packers likely knew things were headed in this direction and therefore, expedited the process of evaluating Flynn. Flynn will back up Tolzien this weekend.
It has been ages since we have been able to have a discussion like this about the quarterback position in Green Bay so let the commenting begin!
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Jason Perone is an independent sports blogger writing about the Packers on AllGreenBayPackers.com
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I miss the stability of the “good old days.” Get well soon, Aaron!
Signing Flynn makes sense. We have to have someone and he knows the offense. Unless our D can get off the field though, it doesn’t matter who our QB is.
Flynn also brings previous experience/chemistry with Nelson, James Jones, Cobb, Quarless and other members of the team. That won’t hurt.
“Pride goeth before a fall”. I’m sure fans of many other teams see this as karmic payback for the charmed QB situation we’ve had the last two decades. Well, so be it. We will endure it, and cheer as loudly and heartily for Scott Tolzien as ever we did (and will) for Aaron and Bert whatsisname. As we did for Majik, Lynn Dickey, Randy Wright, Scott Hunter, et al. The Pack endures.
Six thumbs down? Geez, what did I say that was so controversial?
Scott Hunter… there is a name from the past. Tolzien put up the best performance ever by a Packer quarterback wearing number 16. Now the number is uncursed.
Here’s one that was pretty good (I remember that game)
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198611270det.htm
There’s also a loss the following year to the Bears where #16 was pretty good…
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198711080gnb.htm
That’s good stuff!
That Detroit game had to be the best of Wright’s career!
And any box with Paul Ott Carruth in it is a good one..haha
Not just Paul Ott Carruth, but Paul Ott Carruth catching a TD…and a game-winning Walter Stanley return for TD!
That’s the answer to a trivia question I asked someone during the game last week. Who was the last Packer QB to wear #16 named Scott? Hunter…
Heres to EDS and Barclay getting back soon to help who ever is behind center
I second that!
We have to win these next 2 games to have a shot at the playoffs, I don’t think Rodgers will be back in time for the lions game (I hope im wrong) so that will be a hard one to win. Beating the giants and viks is crucial. Then hopefully rodgers is back and we go on a roll to close out the season, wrap up a playoff spot and see what happens. Seattle , the niners and other nfc contenders have their issues, so who knows? But, none of this will matter if we dont win the next 2 games with or backup QB
Tolzien has promise, but like most inexperienced QBs, he throws the ball into coverage, he had 2 picks but it could have been 4. This is where Flynn maybe better
Wallace was going to make us 0 & 4 as a starter. Let 16 air it out which I bet he can. Who knows, might be a QB controversy brewing.
Why not just release him instead of put him on IR? He won’t be on the team next year, so why bother with IR?
If a player is not able to play due to injury, the team must either keep him on the active roster until he can play and then release him or they would have to place him on IR, reach an injury settlement and then release him. It’s likely part of the CBA.
By putting Wallace on IR, they fulfill their obligation to allow him to return to health but can immediately fill that roster spot.
Assuming that Matt Flynn’s elbow troubles are behind him the Packers will have an excellent, if not, the best QB corps in the league when Rodgers returns. I see Rodgers, obviously the starter, with 2 solid backups in Flynn and Tolzien, unless Scott totally fails against NYG. It took a round about and unfortunate way to reach this point but if we can keep Flynn and Tolzien as backups to Rodgers, learning over 2-3 seasons, assuming we can afford Flynn, the Packers will have their backup QB questions behind them. Thanks, Since ’61
Flynn won’t be expensive anymore. Maybe not vets minimum but certainly not expensive either. It all depends on Tolzien. If he plays really well he’ll be the primary backup next year and they’ll draft a QB in the 4th – 7th rounds. If he is just ok, he might be the #3 w/ Flynn as the backup. It just depends on Tolzien. The backup job is his to win right now.
Flynn was the backup we wanted to hang onto a couple of years ago. He didn’t have a cannon then, but seemed to know how to run the offense. Hope his arm is ok & that he has or can regain the feel for the offense. If so, I think since ’61 is right about having our backup. Flynn probably is much less likely to try the other side of the fence again, and those on the other side of the fence more leery of him. This should brighten the mood of pack faithful.
the bottom line is that we have to win the next 2 games to stay in the hunt. otherwise we have to hope Chicago & Detroit lose which is unlikely. What’s happened to the defense which played pretty well while Rodgers was in there? This is becoming dejavou on getting beat by long passes. Come on pack, you’re not out of it , lot’s can still happen & QB’s go down each week.
It would not surprise me at all to see TT spend a high draft pick on a QB. I could see a third rounder going to that position. They need someone they can keep around for the duration of his rookie contract as they did with Flynn. Let’s just hope it’s not another Brian Brohm