The Green Bay Packers have a long history of outstanding quarterback play. Arnie Herber, a Hall of Famer, was a pioneer in the position since the franchise’s inception. Tobin Rote and Cecil Isbell also have special spots in franchise history, preceding the glory days of Hall of Famer Bart Starr and the Vince Lombardi Packers teams, which won five NFL championships.
Of course, more recently, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers have continued Green Bay’s tradition of Hall of Fame quarterback play. Even before them, the Packers had Lynn Dickey and Pro Bowler Don Majkowski at quarterback. Jordan Love appears to be on track to maintain the high level of play he set in his debut season as a starter.
How Do the Green Bay Packers Keep Hitting on Good Quarterbacks?
Brian Gutekunst, general manager of the Packers, spoke with the national media on Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. During his session, Eliot Wolf, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and Packers’ great general manager Ron Wolf, asked Gutekunst how the Packers continue to get the quarterback position right.
“Luck,” Gutekunst replied.
Eliot Wolf is the New England Patriots’ Director of Scouting. He is, in essence, the de facto general manager since Bill Belichick’s retirement as head coach and general manager.
There is no doubting that Green Bay has been blessed to have such a long tradition of excellent quarterback play. But is it actually luck?
The truth is that, while everyone understands that quarterback is the most essential position on the field, Green Bay has addressed it differently and has reaped the advantages of this method for years, along with other teams.
Green Bay Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst Wants to Draft More Quarterbacks
During his news conference, Gutekunst expressed a desire for the Packers to resume drafting multiple quarterbacks. This comes on the heels of his claim that backup quarterback Sean Clifford, whom Green Bay selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, is a proven backup quarterback who has the potential to be more in the NFL.
Former Packers executive Andrew Brandt has stated, “The best time to draft a quarterback is when you don’t need one.” This was the strategy Gutekunst used in 2020, when he traded up to take Jordan Love in the first round. Rodgers was getting older, but he was also about to earn his second consecutive NFL MVP award. While Gutekunst could not have predicted how well Rodgers would perform in 2020 and 2021, he did not choose Love as Rodgers’ imminent successor.
