Two Packers quarterbacks dominated the offseason storylines this year. Aaron Rodgers’ displeasure with the organization and Jordan Love’s potential takeover made for one of the biggest stories in sports over the previous three months. Everyone knows those two, one the reigning NFL MVP and the other a 2020 first-round pick who likely will take over one day for a franchise blessed with three straight decades of Hall of Fame quarterbacks.
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How many non-Packers fans know who their third quarterback is, though?
That’s what I thought.
Does Kurt Benkert ring a bell?
If it doesn’t, nobody can blame you.
Benkert is 26 years old, a 2018 undrafted free agent from the University of Virginia who spent his first three seasons with the Falcons. Benkert was on the practice squad the entire 2018 season, on injured reserve the entire 2019 season and on the practice squad for all but one game in 2020. He could very well spend the entire season on the practice squad in 2021, too, if neither Rodgers nor Love gets injured.
So clearly, Benkert’s football skills (which have to be pretty darn good considering the team cut two quarterbacks right before camp) are not why this story is being written. After all, he has never thrown a pass in the NFL.
But Benkert spoke to local reporters for the first time Thursday, and he’s someone you should know, if only because he’s somewhat of a Green Bay celebrity from his personality and social media presence alone.
“I mean, it’s been crazy,” Benkert said. “I haven’t even taken a snap here, haven’t played in preseason. I throw some balls into nets and people love it. … I think it’s a testament to what Green Bay’s all about and what Packers fans are all about. Doesn’t matter who you are, if you’re the most important player or a guy that’s on the bottom (of the) barrel … they are open arms to you, and if you love Green Bay and love the Packers, they love you, too. So it’s pretty cool to be a part of.”
Consider this: How many NFL quarterbacks would not only send a tweet asking for Fourth of July barbecue recommendations but also actually attend one at a fan’s house? Benkert might be the only one. That’s exactly what he did last month.
Who has the 4th of July BBQ in Green Bay? Must have corn hole boards.
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) July 2, 2021
Paul Bretl, a Packers fan who also contributes to Packers blogs Dairyland Express and Cheesehead TV, responded to Benkert’s tweet.
“He was like, ‘Hey, we’re gonna have stuff for the baby. I know you have a kid. Our baby will probably be napping during that time anyway, so all the toys and stuff will be open. We’ll have cornhole and brats — I learned how to say — and some smoked wings,'” Benkert recalled. “So it was pretty cool.”
Happy 4th of July! Quick thanks to @Paul_Bretl & his family for opening up to mine for some great food and yard games.
Side note: my bag in hole rate today was over 90%. Currently looking for Green Bay competitive Cornhole (Bags) leagues.
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) July 4, 2021
Benkert has ingratiated himself to Packers fans by throwing a tight spiral during offseason workouts, yes, but being the common man’s common man, too.
He didn’t take a private jet or even a commercial flight from his home in Cape Coral, Fla., to Green Bay this summer. He packed his wife, Sam, baby girl, Scout, two dogs and luggage into a Kia Telluride and drove 23 hours, stopping in Louisville, Ky., Tennessee and other locations along the way.
He was signed by Ghost Gaming to be a professional video game player, something every kid aspires to be, after being hesitant to take esports too seriously because he figured people would think he didn’t care about football enough.
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He interacts with fans and reporters on social media, expressing gratitude for being able to learn from Rodgers, filming himself skateboarding through the Lambeau Field parking lot, sending $100 to fans for seemingly no reason at all, cracking dirty jokes and sharing snapshots of his life outside football (like, at the dog park).
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In an era when certain athletes are secretive with their personal lives, like the 17-year veteran he’s learning from, Benkert is anything but. He does realize, however, that an infectious personality won’t ensure him job security.
“If you’re going to put out results, you can be a stonewall up there,” Benkert said. “If you’re winning Super Bowls and you have no personality, it is what it is.”
Benkert isn’t just a fun Twitter follow. He has endured a trying road to arrive in Green Bay, and not just the one he drove in that Kia. After being named East Carolina’s starting quarterback before his redshirt sophom*ore season, Benkert tore his ACL less than a week before the season opener. ECU’s entire coaching staff got fired after the 2015 season and Benkert said the new staff wanted to bring in their own guys. So he graduated in spring 2016, transferred to Virginia and immediately won the starting job before throwing for 5,759 yards and 46 touchdowns in two seasons with the Cavaliers.
In three NFL seasons, he has had as many season-ending injuries as games on an active roster (one). He impressed enough during offseason workouts in Green Bay that the Packers cut Blake Bortles and Jake Dolegala before camp, and Benkert now has the inside lane to a roster spot if the Packers keep three quarterbacks or a practice squad spot waiting for him in Green Bay if they cut him and he clears waivers.
“I’m going to help the need on practice squad or the 53,” Benkert said. “To me, it’s just a check difference.”
Kurt Benkert knows how to get on Packer fans’ good side pic.twitter.com/FCJ2cXEFwp
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) August 5, 2021
Whether his stay in Green Bay lasts one more day or one more month or one more season, Benkert knows the drill of a third-string quarterback. He has been one since entering the league as an undrafted free agent. Nothing is guaranteed, and you might not have a job when you wake up, so you might as well have fun along the way.
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And Benkert is pretty good at that, too.
“I think part of who I am is showing people what I’m all about,” Benkert said. “I don’t want to be the boring guy in the room. That’s just not who I am. I think here, they value having fun while they’re kicking butt and winning games. It’s been pretty cool to see the dynamic of how different things can work across the league. Here, they definitely have fun while winning games.”
(Photo: Dan Powers / USA Today)
Matt Schneidman is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Green Bay Packers. He is a proud alum of The Daily Orange student newspaper at Syracuse University. Follow Matt on Twitter @mattschneidman
