The Green Bay Packers have made their decision at backup quarterback.
Sean Clifford competed with rookie Michael Pratt throughout the preseason, but neither secured a spot on the Packers’ initial 53-man roster. The team traded a seventh-round draft pick to the Tennessee Titans for quarterback Malik Willis, who will back up Jordan Love this season.
Green Bay released Clifford and Pratt.
According to Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated, the Packers hope to bring Clifford back to the practice squad if he clears waivers.
The 2023 fifth-round pick backed up Love last season but barely played, completing his only regular-season pass for 37 yards. Now, his future is uncertain. He could land with another team through waivers or choose to sign elsewhere if no team puts in a claim. The most likely scenario is a return to the Packers’ practice squad.
Sean Clifford responds to Packers release on social media
Shortly after the news that the Packers had released him, Clifford posted on X (formerly Twitter) with a famous Winston Churchill quote.
Who had Clifford quoting Churchill on their bingo card today?
The “failure is not fatal” part might be accurate if Clifford returns to the Packers’ practice squad. He could even enter Week 1 as Green Bay’s backup. The team may decide his knowledge of the playbook gives him a slight advantage over Willis in the opening few weeks of the season. The Packers could promote him to the gameday roster to take on that role.
Huber’s report about the Packers wanting to bring back Clifford suggests they are ready to move on from Pratt, which is somewhat surprising. The rookie has outperformed Clifford throughout camp and, as a rookie, should have more upside.
We’ll see what happens next.
Clifford is gone for now, but he could return to Green Bay as soon as Wednesday. Time will tell.