One of the positional battles for the Green Bay Packers that people will be keeping a close eye on this offseason is at quarterback with Sean Clifford. Jordan Love is locked in as the starter, but the No. 2 job behind him will be up for grabs.
Rookie seventh-round pick Michael Pratt is expected to compete for the job in the coming weeks. NFL evaluators believe he has a bright future as a backup in the league, but he could need some time to develop.
At the very least, the Green Bay Packers have a new developmental prospect at the most important position in the game. If Pratt doesn’t win the job, it likely means that he was beaten out by Sean Clifford.
Clifford, a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, beat out Danny Etling and Alex McGough for the backup job as a rookie. With McGough transitioning to wide receiver, the job looks to be his to lose again.
While we haven’t seen much from Clifford on the field, as Love played nearly every snap in the regular season, the coaches like what the Penn State product brings to the field. Quarterback coach Matt Clements spoke very highly of Sean Clifford while comparing him to a former backup the franchise had.
“He’s a game-time, gamer. Kind of a little bit of Matt Flynn in him,” Clements said, via Ryan Wood, a Green Bay Packers beat writer for USA Today.
Matt Flynn was with the Packers for two stints; 2008-2011 and 2013-2014. He left originally after one huge game in 2011, signing a multi-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency. But, he didn’t win the starting job, getting beat out by Russell Wilson that offseason.
If Sean Clifford is pressed into duty in a similar fashion, the Green Bay Packers hope that he can respond just as well. What he lacks in physical abilities, Clifford makes up for with his leadership and high IQ.
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