Green Bay Packers Sign QB Kurt Benkert to Futures Deal

The offseason is, unfortunately, here for the Green Bay Packers and one of the first items on the to-do list of GM Brian Gutekunst is to sign players — typically those who were on the practice squad — to reserve/futures deals.

In short, what these futures deals do is they allow a team to begin filling out their 90-man roster before the new league year begins. The players signed to these deals will be a part of offseason programs and have the opportunity to compete for a roster spot over the summer.

There are going to be several of these signings made by the Green Bay Packers in the coming days, but the first reported signing belongs to quarterback Kurt Benkert.

Now, I know what many of you are thinking, but no, this is not any sort of foreshadowing on the Packers’ part that Aaron Rodgers or Jordan Love will be playing elsewhere next season. While that’s a possibility, the signing of Benkert to a futures deal is not a sign of that.

Even if both Rodgers and Love were back, Green Bay would need more than two quarterbacks on their roster to get through training camp and the preseason.

I imagine bringing Benkert back was an easy decision for the Packers. He spent the entire 2021 season in Green Bay on the practice squad, learning the Matt LaFleur system, and he was elevated in Week 14 against Chicago, where he saw his first career NFL snap in the victory formation.

Benkert would also flash his potential during the preseason, completing nearly 69 percent of his 48 pass attempts, according to PFF ($$), totaling 300 yards with one touchdown, two interceptions and this dime on the run.

As I mentioned above, Benkert is the first of what will end up being several future deal signings that the Green Bay Packers are going to make. For reference, they made 19 around this time a year ago for the 2021 season.

As I wrote recently, there could be a lot of changes coming to the Green Bay Packers roster, most notably at the quarterback position. If that’s the case, then there may be the opportunity for Benkert to expand his role and responsibilities this summer.