Matt LaFleur Provides Shocking Update on Packers' QB Depth Chart
By Jovan Alford
The Green Bay Packers have an intriguing position battle taking place at training camp for the QB2 role behind starter Jordan Love.
Last season, then-rookie quarterback Sean Clifford was locked in as Green Bay’s QB2 after being taken in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
However, the Packers wanted to create some competition this offseason, so they drafted former Tulane QB Michael Pratt in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft. When OTAs and minicamp kicked off, it was clear that the job was up for grabs as Clifford made some noticeable mistakes, which shouldn’t be happening in Year 2.
Those same mistakes continued into training camp from Clifford, which slowly opened the door for Pratt to win the backup job. Then the first preseason game happened last week against the Cleveland Browns, where Clifford and Pratt played the most.
Clifford completed 10-of-19 passes for 119 yards, while Pratt completed 5-of-7 passes for 46 yards. It was a solid start for both quarterbacks heading into the second week of preseason.
On Wednesday, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was asked who will start this weekend against the Denver Broncos and gave an intriguing response, which caught the attention of fans and reporters.
“Right now, the plan probably is to give Sean the first crack at it, and then Pratt,” LaFleur said (h/t Zach Kruse of The Packers Wire).
Might be reading into the wording too much, but Matt LaFleur made it sound like the Packers QB2 battle is much closer than we might believe.
— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) August 14, 2024
On who will start in Denver: "Right now, the plan probably is to give Sean the first crack at it, and then Pratt."
As you can imagine, fans reacted on social media, expressing their thoughts about wanting to see more of Pratt than Clifford.
Clifford hasn’t done himself any justice in minicamp and training camp with his performance, hence, why he’s in this spot. The former Penn State quarterback has turned over the ball in practice, which he thankfully didn’t do in the first preseason game.
However, he likely isn’t doing much to stand out, which has led to Pratt gaining momentum in the QB2 race. With Love not playing, Clifford and Pratt will get many snaps to show they can be the team’s backup quarterback.
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