The Green Bay Packers are are doing their homework on available quarterbacks, including a tryout with Jacob Eason, a former fourth-round pick.
Matt Schneidman with The Athletic posted to X that Eason was present at Packers rookie minicamp. The veteran quarterback was there for a tryout on Friday, May 3.
The Packers just had third-string quarterback Alex McGough switch to wide receiver. Eason’s tryout could be a potential workout as the Packers consider bringing in a more experienced veteran for training camp.
At the time of writing, there had been no indication that Eason was signing a deal with the Packers.
Jacob Eason’s Rocky NFL Career
There have always been glimpses of potential with Eason. Unfortunately, things haven’t gone his way at the NFL level.
Eason was a 5-star recruit and one of the top high school players in the country in 2016. He could have gone essentially anywhere for college, but decided to enroll at Georgia.
Although Eason became the starter for the Bulldogs in 2017, an injury caused him to lose his job to Jake Fromm. When he was unable to regain the job, Eason transferred to Washington.
The move to Seattle worked out for Eason. The 6’6″ quarterback was able to demonstrate his top-tier arm strength, throwing for 3,132 yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 13 games.
With his frame and arm talent, Eason heard his name called in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He served as the backup in Indianapolis for one and a half seasons, but was released in October of 2021.
Since then, Eason has moved between different teams. He’s never stayed with a team for long, and has been with four teams over the last two seasons. It’s been rough whenever he’s made it onto the field, throwing two interceptions on 10 pass attempts in two games.
Eason is still trying to keep his NFL career alive. The Packers tryout may not lead to a training camp opportunity, but other teams may still give him a call this offseason.
There aren’t many 6’6″ quarterbacks with rocket arms, and NFL general managers will likely keep giving Eason a chance given that he’s only 26 years old.
Green Bay’s Quarterback Situation
Jordan Love is the clear QB1 in Green Bay. However, there is still an interesting training camp battle brewing for the backup quarterback spot.
Sean Clifford is the incumbent favorite to be the backup in 2024. A fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Clifford had a good handle on running an offense at Penn State. While he doesn’t have great arm talent, his athletic ability and football IQ makes him an adequate backup.
However, the Packers took a chance on another young QB in this year’s draft. Michael Pratt out of Tulane was taken in the seventh round. A four-year starter and three-time captain, Pratt is able to throw it all over the field despite less-than-ideal arm strength.
Neither backup quarterback has a great arm, but both bring enough to the table to make this year’s training camp battle an interesting one. The preseason games in August will give Packers fans a good idea of who will earn the backup job, and who will likely be sent to the practice squad.
