QUARTERBACKS (4)
Aaron Rodgers (Ht.: 6-2; Wt.: 215; Age: 33; Acquired: D1-’05; College: California)
Rodgers finished fifth in MVP voting last season behind QB Derek Carr, RB Ezekiel Elliott, QB Tom Brady and QB Matt Ryan, the eventual winner. He made up ground with a torrid stretch from late November through the dramatic playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys in which he attempted 318 passes without an interception. He threw 24 touchdowns during that streak, second only to Brady’s 26 touchdowns without an interception in 2010. Rodgers will be a very popular MVP choice again this season.
Brett Hundley (Ht.: 6-3; Wt.: 228; Age: 23; Acquired: D5-'15; College: UCLA)
It feels like ages ago when Hundley blazed through the exhibition season with ease as a rookie fifth-round pick. He completed 45 of 65 passes (69.2%) for a league-best 630 yards in the summer of 2015, and the 7-to-1 touchdown to interception ratio sparked immediate trade talks among Packers fans. In other words, Hundley was certain to blossom into a nice piece of trade bait for Thompson, who already has his starting quarterback for the foreseeable future.
Jump forward to the summer of 2017 and Hundley is still fighting to realize the potential he flashed two seasons ago. Last year’s training camp was supposed to be the summer of Hundley, with Rodgers playing few, if any, snaps during exhibition games. But a nagging ankle problem sidelined Hundley for the majority of camp, and the summer of Hundley transformed into the summer of Joe Callahan.
Now 24, Hundley is entering what could be his final season with the Packers, especially if he plays well this summer. This is the third year of Hundley’s four-year rookie contract, and any potential trade would take place prior to the start of next season. July, August and September will determine his worth to the Packers — and, more importantly, everyone else.
“Good young player, a lot of talent,” Van Pelt said. “A lot of ability in his body. He’s catching up mentally now. He should have a fine camp moving forward, that’s what I totally expect.
“I’d take great pride if he went on and became a starter somewhere. We obviously work hard to train our quarterbacks in how we think is the right way. For him to have a chance, whether it be here or anywhere else, to be successful at this level, I’d take that as a pat on the back.”
Joe Callahan (Ht.: 6-1; Wt.: 216; Age: 23; Acquired: FA-'16; College: Wesley (Del.)
Callahan made the team as an undrafted free agent from Wesley, a Division III school in Delaware, and remained on the active roster until mid-October. At that point, Thompson released Callahan and defensive tackle Brian Price to create roster spots for two players returning from suspension: nose tackle Mike Pennel and cornerback Demetri Goodson.
It was a gamble by the Packers, whose coaching staff crossed its fingers that Callahan would remain unclaimed on waivers. They hoped to re-sign Callahan to the practice squad immediately.
But the New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns each took a turn with the Packers’ diamond in the rough. Callahan spent a week in New Orleans and a month in Cleveland before he ultimately was released. The Packers pounced as soon as he cleared waivers, adding him to the practice squad in early December.
Callahan earned a promotion to the active roster as Rodgers worked through a bothersome calf problem in mid-December. He remained on the 53-man roster for the rest of the season, even as the Packers lacked healthy bodies on the defensive side of the ball. When asked about Callahan’s roster spot last season, coach Mike McCarthy said repeatedly that the undrafted rookie had earned it.
“He’s growing,” Van Pelt said. “His footwork has gotten a lot better, understanding of the offense has gotten better in his second year. Just continue to do that and then show it in the preseason when he gets to play.”
Taysom Hill (Ht.: 6-2; Wt.: 225; Age: 26; Acquired: FA-’17; College: Brigham Young)
In signing Hill, an undrafted free agent from BYU, the Packers continued their recent trend of searching for athleticism with the fourth and final quarterback spot on their 90-man roster. A year ago they snagged former North Carolina quarterback Marquise Williams, who ran for 2,458 yards in a four-year collegiate career, and now they’ve secured Hill, a player whose pre-draft testing numbers were eye-popping.
Hill ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds at his pro day earlier this year. He posted a vertical leap of 381⁄2 inches and a broad jump of 10 feet, 2 inches. For reference, former Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey, a first-round pick by the Carolina Panthers, was clocked at 4.48 seconds, had a vertical leap of 371⁄2 and a broad jump of 10 feet, 1 inch at this year’s NFL scouting combine.
Hill’s biggest problem in college was durability. He had a season-ending knee injury in 2012; a broken fibula and ankle damage in 2014; a season-ending Lisfranc foot injury in 2015; and a torn triceps tendon in the regular finale of his senior year.
“I refused multiple calls when the draft was over,” Hill said in May. “Green Bay was at the top of my list. I sat down with (Alex) Van Pelt for about an hour. I think he’d be a really good guy to play for. … I’m very confident in my ability to throw the football. That’s not a concern of mine. … I’ve caught a lot of grief because I’ve had a number of injuries because I’m a mobile guy and I do run around a little bit. My answer was I’ll always do what it takes to win games. I’ll lay it all on the line.”