Scott Tolzien Now Has Practice Squad Eligibility

Remember when the NFL expanded the rules for who was eligible for the practice squad? That gave a number of second-year players additional practice squad eligibility. We learned it also gave quarterback Scott Tolzien additional eligibility as well, on Wednesday.

Crack investigative reporter Rob Demovsky sleuthed that one out.

Just heard from the @NFLPA, which also confirmed what the NFL office said: Tolzien is practice-squad eligible. #Packers

— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) August 27, 2014

Tolzien spent his first two NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, where he didn’t take a snap. He opened the 2013 season on the Packers practice squad before eventually getting called up to the big club, where he played in three games.

Under the old practice squad rules, Tolzien would have been out of eligibility. He had already spent two full NFL seasons on an active roster, as well as part of a third year on a practice squad. That stint on the Packers practice squad would have ended Tolzien’s eligibility.

Under the new rules, eligibility it tied to games active in a season. Specifically, players with more than one accrued season are not eligible. In order to gain an accrued season, a player must be on the active roster for six games or more. If a player does have an accrued season, they are still eligible for the practice squad if they were on the 45-man active game day roster for less than nine games.

Get all that?

Anyway, who gives a shit? Tolzien is eligible.

Is he going to end up on the Packers practice squad? Only if he shits the bed against the Chiefs tonight. And even then, we have our doubts.

Tolzien has the advantage in the quest to back up Aaron Rodgers. If he plays even with Matt Flynn against Kansas City, it’s his job.

If he blows it, then either the Packers keep three quarterbacks or they release Scooter. In the latter instance, Scoots is more than likely signing with another team to be on their active roster.

Buffalo, who just signed Chicago Bears discard Jordan Palmer, seems like an obvious destination.

Here’s how we see it. Scooter Tolzien is either playing himself into a backup job with the Packers or off the team, not onto the practice squad.

We’ll stand by our pre-training camp prediction — he plays himself into the No. 2 slot.