Behren Morton Packers Draft Visit Packers News Packers Quarterback Backup
Getty
Former Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton.
The Green Bay Packers have met with a 2026 draft prospect who may interest them as a backup quarterback option behind starter Jordan Love next season.
According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the Packers brought in former Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton for a top 30 pre-draft visit on April 7. Morton had confirmed the visit himself with a post to his Instagram story on Tuesday.
Morton enters the NFL draft with a high volume of collegiate experience, having thrown 1,263 career passes over his 45 appearances for the Red Raiders in the last five seasons. In 2025, he completed a career-best 66.0% of his passes (219 of 332) for 2,780 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions, guiding Texas Tech to its first Big 12 title.
While Morton projects as a late Day 3 selection or priority free-agent signing after the draft, it is not insignificant that Green Bay invited him to their team facility for a closer look, especially given the departure of two-year backup Malik Willis in free agency.
The Packers have added Kyle McCord (2025 sixth-round pick for Philadelphia) and Desmond Ridder (17-game starter for Atlanta) to their 2026 offseason roster, but they are still a long way from crystallizing their No. 2 quarterback choice behind Love.
The 2026 draft will officially begin at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 23.
Behren Morton May Offer Day 3 Intrigue for Packers
Morton has some traits that could generate Day 3 interest from the Packers and other teams after a productive career at Texas Tech. He has the patience to sit in the pocket and work his way through his reads while also showing enough haste to quickly deliver when situations call for it. He also has the athleticism to extend plays and work RPOs.
Unfortunately, one of the things that makes Morton more difficult to project in the pros is his injury history. Morton played through a hairline fracture in his right leg in 2025 and battled through a Grade 3 AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder in 2023 and 2024. According to USA Today’s Matt Hayes, the shoulder injury was “so severe [that] it involved a complete tear of ligaments connecting the collarbone to shoulder blade.”
Points for toughness, but perhaps not for a reliable long-term career in the NFL.
Here is what Lance Zierlein wrote about Morton in his NFL.com pre-draft profile:
He appears to lack the functional arm talent to push the ball into windows or beat safeties over the top into sideline buckets. He’s average with his anticipation and field-reading but is willing to get through progressions while trusting his pocket. He’s extremely tough and has the desired level of competitive spirit needed for the position. He can buy time for his receivers when needed and gets what he can when it’s time to run. Morton’s medicals will be critical, but it will likely be an uphill battle for him to make a roster.
Packers Likely to Let Camp Decide Backup Quarterback
Morton’s visit to the Packers seems to indicate that the team is open to adding another quarterback to its roster in the coming weeks, either in the draft or as a priority UDFA.
In any case, though, the Packers won’t likely rush to judgment on who will stand behind Love as their No. 2 quarterback until they have competed for it in 2026 training camp.
The Packers did not need much of a quarterback competition in 2025 with Willis — who impressed in two relief starts for Love in 2024 — penciled in as their clear backup, but they will for the 2026 season now that Willis has followed former defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and front-office executive Jon-Eric Sullivan to the Miami Dolphins.
The last time the Packers held a backup quarterback competition, in 2024, they waived both of the contenders — Sean Clifford (2023 fifth-round pick) and Michael Pratt (2024 seventh-round pick) — and opted to trade a seventh-rounder to Tennessee for Willis. In other words, they are comfortable going down to the wire if no true victor is emerging.
Given Green Bay’s mindset, a placement with the Packers could provide a unique shot for a rookie quarterback, who would face a wide-open competition to make the team.