By Adam Roberts – 5/10/2021
As Packers GM Brian Gutekunst continues to navigate the landmine-filled sea that is the Aaron Rodgers situation, one assertion he made after the NFL Draft last month is coming true: there will be an extra arm for the team in the QB room, and it could be one of two men headed to Titletown this weekend.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweeted today that quarterbacks Kurt Benkert and Chad Kelly will be attending this weekend’s rookie minicamp for tryout reps.
Benkert has been looking for a home since being waived by the Atlanta Falcons. He was a two-school QB for East Carolina and Virginia; with the Cavs he completed 57.5 percent of his passes for 5,759 yards, 46 touchdowns and 20 interceptions.
As for Kelly, he has had a tumultuous career since being drafted by the Broncos as “Mr. Irrelevant” in 2017. He played in just one game for Denver in 2018 after missing his rookie season with a wrist injury, recording no passing yards and rushing for -1. Kelly’s legal troubles included being released by the Broncos after is arrest for suspicion of trespassing and his subsequent guilty plea. He has since had a stint with the Colts on the practice squad in which he never saw the field and received a tryout from the Buffalo Bills but did not receive a callback. Many SEC fans remember his electric 2015 season at Ole Miss where the threw for over 4,000 yards and 31 TDs.
In any case, it seems the organization is trying to give themselves a little breathing room at the QB spot since there would only be two arms heading into minicamp otherwise between Rodgers and Jordan Love.