There's an old saying in the NFL that goes, "you're only as good as your backup quarterback."
I, for one, believe that. In any given moment on the field, in any one play, a franchise's Super Bowl ambitions can be derailed by a single injury. What happens to a team once its starting quarterback goes down? It's a scary question to ponder, but it's one the Green Bay Packers must think about.
Since becoming the full-time starter in 2008, MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers has missed seven games, including five to end the season with a broken collarbone in 2013. That doesn't make Rodgers injury-prone by any stretch. But he did take 64 QB hits last season. If Rodgers were to be sidelined for any reason, who would be there to step up in his place? It's a question that was posed to ESPN Packers reporter Rob Demovsky in his weekly mailbag.
@RobDemovsky does the Brett Hundley pick spell the end for Tolzien's time in Green Bay #PackersMail
— Money Myer$ (@L_Myers12) May 3, 2015
"Not for 2015," Demovsky answered. "It would be a major surprise if Hundley were able to come in this season and be the No. 2 quarterback. There's just too much to learn and not enough time to do it. The Packers like Tolzien's progress and fully expect him to be Aaron Rodgers' backup this season. Now, if Tolzien doesn't perform well, it's a different story. But the Packers did not draft Hundley in the fifth round to bump Tolzien out of the way this season. They will almost certainly keep three quarterbacks again this season."
Hundley threw for 3,155 yards with 22 touchdowns against just five interceptions last year at UCLA. He also rushed for 644 yards and 10 scores. During his time in college, Hundley showcased impressive dual-threat athletic ability and solid progressions mixed with frustrating inconsistencies from the pocket and inaccuracy as a passer. He is a long-term developmental project right now so Tolzien should feel pretty safe.
