Ex-Packers QB Now Likely to Lose Job to Former Viking

Green Bay Packers quarterback Michael Pratt (17) passes the ball during practice on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wis. 
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Green Bay Packers quarterback Michael Pratt (17) passes the ball during practice on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wis. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Green Bay Packers play in the NFC North, which has earned the reputation of being the nastiest in the NFL. Even dating back to its days as the NFC Central, the North has been dubbed “The Black and Blue Division” because of the colors it leaves its opponents after a game.

Because of that, it’s common for players that have been in the division to have four degrees of separation when they head to another team. One former Packers quarterback is finding out the hard way, as he could wind up losing his job to another quarterback that has plenty of familiarity with the NFC North.

Former Packers QB Michael Pratt Could Lose His Job to Teddy Bridgewater

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and multiple reports, Teddy Bridgewater is expected to come out of retirement to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bridgewater was recently suspended from his job as the head football coach at his alma mater Miami Northwestern Senior High School for providing impermissible benefits to his players, but now appears to have his eyes set on becoming Baker Mayfield’s backup for the upcoming season.

This spells trouble for anyone on the roster not named Mayfield, but could be especially troubling for former Packers quarterback Michael Pratt. A seventh-round pick by the Packers in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Tulane product has the size (6-foot-2, 217 pounds) and production (2,406 yards, 22 TD, 5 INT, 65.4% completion rate) to be an NFL prospect, but it hasn’t translated into a long-term stint in the NFL.

Pratt failed to make the Packers out of training camp last offseason and spent the entire season on the Tampa Bay practice squad. His chances of making the active roster this year were slim behind Mayfield and backup quarterback Kyle Trask, but they took a turn for the worse when Pratt began to deal with a back injury, leading to the addition of Bridgewater.

A first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2014 draft, Bridgewater suffered a career-altering injury before the start of the 2016 season. That injury led to his departure from Minnesota and he spent time with the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions over his 10 seasons in the league.

While Bridgewater hasn’t thrown a pass in a regular season game since 2022, he provides a veteran presence that the Buccaneers didn’t have on their roster. Even if Bridgewater doesn’t make the team, Tampa Bay could stick him on the practice squad as a third quarterback that could serve as a de facto coach.

It doesn’t spell good news for Pratt, but it’s another example of how the NFC North can haunt players long after they’ve left the division.

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