Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy really likes backup quarterback DeShone Kizer. The Packers liked Kizer when he came out of college in 2017. They might like him even more now.
The 2018 NFL Draft was top-heavy with quarterbacks. Four of them went in the first 10 picks. Baker Mayfield went No. 1 overall to the Browns, Sam Darnold went to the Jets at No. 3, Josh Allen went to the Bills at No. 7 and Josh Rosen landed with the Cardinals at No. 10.
McCarthy claims that if Kizer would have waited until 2018 to enter the NFL, he would have been in the mix with those four guys.
McCarthy on new #Packers QB DeShone Kizer: "He has starter ability in this league, clearly. In my opinion, if he was in that (draft) class this year, he would've been in that group with the first four guys."
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) May 5, 2018
Although that may seem like a stretch, maybe it isn’t. A lot of people thought Kizer needed another year of college seasoning, including his own coach at Notre Dame, Brian Kelly. He ended up being a second-round pick by the Browns.
The thing with Kizer that we’ve seen is he has all the ability. He can make all the throws. Has a great arm.
That didn’t translate into much success as a rookie, however. Kizer was thrown into the fire, starting 15 games. He threw for 2,894 yards and just 11 touchdowns against 22 interceptions.
So starter ability, sure. If Kizer can harness his talent and adapt to the NFL game. That will probably only come with seasoning. And certainly, having Aaron Rodgers and McCarthy as mentors can’t hurt.
Kizer is already a much more intriguing prospect than Brett Hundley. Those guys will go at it during the preseason for the right to be No. 2. It seems pretty evident that Kizer — after the Packers shipped out Damarious Randall for him — has the edge over Hundley.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Hundley get released if he doesn’t win that No. 2 job.
25 Comments
McCarthy also thought Hundley could be a starter.
Why even pretend like there’s a battle for the backup position? If they get rid of a former first round pick and sadly the most productive corner they had last year, all to just “bring in competition” for the 2nd string QB, do you really believe Hundley is gonna come out on top? You think they’re gonna send Kizer packing for Mr.Gumball?
lol
Good point. He ALSO thought Alex Smith was better than Rodgers. He ALSO failed with EVERY OTHER qb he EVER coached. Buy because he just so happened to be gifted with Rodgers. He is labeled a QB guy. Or a play caller.
Excellent point, TRUTH, and one I have made as well. McFatty is anointing him, within a very short time, as the second coming. As you aptly pointed out, however, he’s got a very poor track record with developing even adequate backup QB’s. He had Hundley for three years and bragged about how much progress he had made. Then Hundley got a chance to start and totally bombed. He clearly was not an NFL QB. What was McCarthy doing for three years when he was supposedly developing Hundley? I put NO stock in his ability to develop QB’s, or his ability to assess their abilities.
A “quarterback whisperer”, McCarthy is NOT !
And then when Hundley bombed, it was Alex Van Pelts fault. So if McCarthy didn’t “know” that Hundley wasn’t prepared, isn’t McCarthy (admitting) pointing out how clueless he really is?
Matt Flynn didn’t turn out too bad. Tolzien was decent for a backup. Personally I think Hundley is just that bad. He wouldn’t succeed with Bill Walsh.
He failed with Aaron Brooks?
I challenge anyone here to give one example of a memorable time McCarthy made a good head coaching decision. Just one. A time when he did something that actually worked out. Something that was factually his decision. Not something Rodgers or someone else drew up and he got credit for.
**Not counting the time he attained those 20 rushing attempts against Seattle**
He pulled off some surprise onside kicks.
Like the last game of the year against Detroit? When they got thier ass beat?
That goes beyond the point. He can make, and has made, good decisions, but they have not been enough to win at critical times. He has to produce more of those, more consistently.
The problem is the ratio of bad decisions to good decisions…10:1?
Yes. That’s it, PF. When TRUTH asked for one example of a good call, I was sort of a devil’s advocate. But rest assured, he makes enough blunders to balance out the good calls.
a dozen yrs of superstars aj hawk and john kuhn?
Lets take a moment and count how many other people in the NFL think Kizer is a talent who belonged in the top ten of this years first round, besides McMuffin.
Ok then….i came up with zero also.
If what McMfuffin said was even remotely true, couldn’t Dorsey have traded him for a high draft pick?
Back to reality…..Kizer is already the #2 QB.
Meanwhile……Hundley is currently being held at the Mendota Mental Health Institute. He refuses to talk to anyone and is screaming incoherently about demanding an explanation from the Packers why they brought in Kizer.
More to follow as information becomes available.
Apparently John Dorsey didn’t think Kizer was a top five pick because he had no problem getting rid of him. Then again the Browns have been picking top 5 quarterbacks for the past few decades so it’s no big deal to take another one.
u crack me up. :)
I’ll be here all week.
This also may be an inept, ridiculous attempt to put pressure on AR to sign a team favorable contract. “Hey Rodgers, you better sign quick because we got this future HOFer in the wings.” Totally insane? You bet. But nothing is beyond believable with this bunch of bozos.
I don’t think so, but I could be wrong.
Yea, that’s a bit of a stretch, i don’t think McCarthy thinks that deep.
Some people say Rodgers doesn’t have any leverage, but i think he has all the leverage. Take Rodgers away from this team and what do you have?
Nothing. To me, that’s leverage.
If Rodgers left, you’d see a few people’s job security, leave with him.
Rodgers is to nice of a guy to go this route, but if he wanted out and asked to be traded, the Packers would probably grant it.
Which may be best for all parties involved, lets be real about this….there are way to many “IFS” concerning this team to be recognized as a real contender in the near future. You don’t turn around a team with this many holes into Championship caliber in a season. That takes time, and then usually a little more time. There is good reason to believe that Cobb and Mathews are gone next season.
When you whiff on so many draft picks through the years as Ted has, you set your team back years, not months.
A few thoughts: Kizer was a well regarded prospect that made what may have been a poor decision to go pro a year early. Brian Kelly thought so himself. Of course that’s a tough decision to make,, Brian Brohm made the wrong decision in staying at school another year
Also, this websites comment interface blows.
Let’s not forget Kizer was thrown into fire, and likely suffered a loss of confidence as a result. MM has a history of making statements like this to prop up his players.