GREEN BAY, Wis. — In an expected move, the Green Bay Packers released quarterback Sean Clifford on Tuesday.
Clifford, the former fifth-round pick in the spring of 2023, fell victim to roster cut-downs as the Packers trim their squad down to 53 players ahead of Tuesday's deadline. Taylor Elgersma, the Canadian quarterback whom the Packers brought in as an undrafted rookie free agent in April, was also released.
Both players are candidates to return to Green Bay as members of the practice squad, and while Clifford has experience in the offense, the Packers have to be enamored with the traits that the 6'5", 227-pound Elgersma possesses. He's a big-bodied signal caller with a live arm and a tremendous pedigree from his time at Wilfrid Laurier University. Elgersma was named First-team All-Canadian and was presented with the Hec Crighton Trophy for his 2024 campaign before being declared eligible for the Canadian Football League draft. He was selected in the second round before being signed by the Packers two weeks later following a successful try-out at rookie minicamp.
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For the most part, Elgersma is an unknown commodity that may be worth developing on the practice squad. Clifford, meanwhile, has now had three summers to show the Packers that he's going to have a future on the roster as the No. 2 quarterback behind Jordan Love and, for the most part, has underwhelmed.
He was stellar in his first preseason slate with the Packers, completing just south of 72 percent of his passes for one touchdown, two interceptions and an 81.8 passer rating. He was credited with four big-time throws from Pro Football Focus, which is defined as, "A pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window."
The following summer, the Penn State product went backward. He completed 51.2 percent of his passes with just one touchdown and one interception. He was docked with two turnover-worthy plays.
This past month, Clifford went backward—again. With Malik Willis handling the primary backup duties, Elgersma and Clifford both saw their fair share of playing time. Clifford dropped back 21 times, completing nine of his 17 pass attempts without a single touchdown and no interceptions. Elgersma and Clifford both played in a rotation this past weekend in the preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks. Clifford struggled to generate production, completing six passes for a measly 19 yards.
Last year, the Packers weren't encouraged by Clifford or Michael Pratt, their seventh-round selection just months prior. Both players were released and general manager Brian Gutekunst swung a trade with the Tennessee Titans to acquire Willis, who would go on to win a pair of games for the Packers in Love's absence with a knee injury. Willis also played the entirety of the second half against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 27, helping them emerge victorious that day, too.
A similar development could certainly play out this time around. If the Packers have seen enough of Clifford or they feel that Elgersma isn't going to blossom into who they hope with ample development on the practice squad, Gutekunst and co. could always outsource for another addition to their quarterback room. Willis is entering the final year of his contract and it's unlikely that the Packers will essentially hold him hostage and keep him from competing for a starting job elsewhere, so the backup job behind Love could be available in the near future.
Zachary Jacobson is the Editor-in-Chief of Packer Report. He is entering his 11th season covering theGreen Bay Packers. He is a member of thePro Football Writers of America. Follow him on Twitter@zacobson or contact him via email atitszachariahj@gmail.com