Two backup quarterback gigs worked themselves out before the final preseason game.
The Green Bay Packers traded quarterback Brett Hundley to the Seattle Seahawks, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported, per a source informed of the deal. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport added the compensation is a 2019 sixth-round draft pick.
ESPN first reported the swap. The Packerslater confirmed the deal.
The Hundley trade clinches the Packers backup quarterback for DeShone Kizer. The former Cleveland Browns' signal-caller, who was acquired in a trade earlier this offseason, will back up Aaron Rodgers if the former MVP suffers an injury for the second consecutive season. The Packers are reportedly expected to keep Tim Boyle as a third stringer.
Kizer showed promise as a rookie, but couldn't overcome the lack of talent in Cleveland and Hue Jackson's questionable coaching tactics. In Green Bay, the Notre Dame product gets a new lease on his career, carrying the bag for Rodgers.
Hundley, meanwhile, immediately becomes the best quarterback behind Russell Wilson in Seattle. The ex-UCLA signal-caller leaps Austin Davis and seventh-round pick Alex McGough, both of which seem unlikely to make the roster now.
While Wilson always seems to avoid injury scares in some sort of magical, Houdini-meets-unicorn fashion, the backup quarterback position in Seattle has been tenuous. The Seahawks had been searching for a suitable backup for weeks. A recent report noted Seattle brass reaching out to the Indianapolis Colts regarding Jacoby Brissett's availability.
With cut downs looming, the Seahawks found their solution. Hundley owns prototypical quarterback traits with a solid arm and mobility. However, he struggled mightily to move the ball in Rodgers' stead last season, leading one of the least-efficient offenses in the league over nine starts. The 25-year-old looked better this preseason, but couldn't beat out Kizer for the backup gig. A fresh start for Hundley is probably best for all parties after the quarterback took the brunt of Packer fans' ire for not being able to replicate Aaron Rodgers' mystique on a football field.
In Seattle, Hundley immediately upgrades one of the worst backup situations in football. If Wilson gets hurt (knocks on alllllll the wood), Hundley would step in as a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option.
