Packers Backup QB Earns Strong Roster Ranking After Eye-Opening Comparison to Hall of Famer

Taylor Elgersma currently sits on the depth chart as the team's fourth option at quarterback behind Malik Willis and Sean Clifford.

He doesn't have NCAA experience, instead playing four years for Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks in Canada's U Sports football. However, his performance there earned him the Hec Crighton Trophy in 2024, which is awarded to U Sports' top male university athlete.

Elgersma also participated in the CFL’s quarterback internship program with the Toronto Argonauts and learned under Mike Miller. Miller previously was an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, working with the Arizona Cardinals when Hall of Famer Kurt Warner was still playing.

Last month, Miller heaped praise on Elgersma as he referred to the young QB as "Kurt Warner-like smart." He said he previously shared this same opinion with Argonauts head coach Ryan Dinwiddie.

"I’m not saying he’s as smart, but that was the guy that was the first name that popped in my mind when I was comparing him," Miller told Sports Illustrated, also saying Elgersma "just gets it."

Warner is a two-time NFL MVP, Super Bowl winner, and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2017.

While the 6-foot-5 Elgersma went undrafted at the NFL Draft, he became a second-round pick for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League (CFL). However, after a tryout at a Packers minicamp, the team signed him in May.

After signing with Green Bay, he indicated he felt "blessed" and was a "perfect fit" for the team. Elbersma said he's focused on the process, developing, and being his best self on a daily basis.

New Packers quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion touted the "talented" QB's unique background in football, his ability to learn and retain information, and his command in and out of the huddle.

"There’s going to be some things that are foreign to him, but the way he was able to retain information, he’s got a lot of things to work on, for sure, but there was talent there," Mannion said. 

In an ongoing SI series ranking the Packers’ 90 roster members before their first training camp in July, Elgersma is No. 56 overall. SI’s Bill Huber indicates that Willis is the obvious choice for the team's first backup quarterback behind Love, and that he could end up becoming a starter during free agency.

However, Huber contends that Elgersma could become the main backup behind Love in 2026. That's certainly high praise for the undrafted player, but based on Miller and Mannion's remarks, it seems he should be capable of adapting quickly to his NFL role.