There has been talk the Green Bay Packers may franchise or otherwise sign and trade backup quarterback Matt Flynn, who’s about to become an unrestricted free agent.
That ship has sailed.
The Packers are approximately $7 million under the salary cap and although they could create more room by releasing highly-paid veterans like Donald Driver and Chad Clifton, it will still be difficult for them to franchise or even sign Flynn to a starter’s contract.
Franchising the quarterback, as New England did with backup Matt Cassel several years ago, would cost the Packers somewhere in the neighborhood of $14 million. Even if they just sign him to a starter’s contract, they’d have to pay him somewhere around $10 million.
Those numbers don’t add up when you consider the team also has to re-sign tight end Jermichael Finley, Pro Bowl center Scott Wells and possibly cornerback Jarrett Bush. They’ll also have to pay some rookies and potentially (haha!) an outside free agent or two.
As we said prior to the season, the time to trade Matt Flynn was, well… prior to the season.