Packers Made a Smart Move by Signing QB Taylor Elgersma

Earlier this month, the Green Bay Packers signed quarterback Taylor Elgersma after having him in for a tryout at rookie camp. While it is highly unlikely the Canadian quarterback will make a significant impact on the Packers this season, Packers GM Brian Gutekunst made a smart move by signing Taylor Elgersma for several reasons.

Packers Made a Smart Move by Signing Taylor Elgersma: His Background

Elgersma won the Hec Crighton Trophy while playing college football in Canada. That is the equivalent to the Heisman Trophy in the United States as it is awarded to the best college football player in Canada. While playing for Wilfrid Laurier, he threw for more than 4,000 yards and 34 touchdowns in his final season while running for six more touchdowns.

He also had great size at 6’5” and 227 pounds and a strong arm. Elgersma also adds mobility to his list of skills.

After the year ended, he earned an invitation to the Senior Bowl, which is not too common for quarterbacks from Canadian schools.

Elgersma was not selected in the NFL Draft but did go in the second round in the CFL draft. He almost certainly would have been selected in the first round, but Canadian teams knew of his NFL prospects which made them shy away.

Elgersma Makes a Good First Impression on Matt LaFleur

Elgersma appeared at Packers rookie camp on a tryout basis. He made an immediate impression on Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.

“He’s got a very live arm. We could see that on tape,” LaFleur told reporters during the team’s post draft rookie minicamp. “Certainly, I think just coming from where he’s coming from to this level, I think there’s going to be a big learning curve. But if there’s anybody that will attack it head on, Taylor will. And you that was so evident when he was here on the 30 visit just, and I know he’s been working really hard at it.”

The Packers managed to sign Elgersma right before he headed to Buffalo to have a similar tryout with the Bills.

There will be some big adjustments for Elgersma going forward. Canadian football has different rules than the NFL or NCAA version of the game. There are 12 men on the field for each team and players can go forward in motion before the snap of the ball. The field is also wider and there are only three downs instead of four. Those factors make Canadian football more pass oriented than the NFL.

While most college players have to adjust to the bigger, faster, and more talented players in the pros, Elgersma will have to adjust to new rules and a different way of playing the game in addition to the higher talent level in the NFL.

Packers Made a Smart Move by Signing Taylor Elgersma: Another Advantage

The Packers get another advantage in signing Elgersma: because he is Canadian, he is eligible to be the Packers International Pathway Program player. That means the Packers could keep him on the practice squad and receive an exemption so he will not count against the team’s total number of practice squad players. Currently, kicker Alex Hale holds that position.

Gutekunst indicated before last year’s draft, that the Packers would be going back to selecting developmental quarterbacks in the later rounds of the draft much like they did under Ron Wolf in the 90s. The Packers did not select a quarterback in this year’s draft. But by signing Elgersma, they added a quarterback with excellent potential without using a draft pick and without having to even use a spot on the practice squad.

Jordan Love is set as the team’s starting quarterback. Malik Willis will be the backup in 2025, but he is not under contract beyond that and will likely seek a chance to start elsewhere in another year. So, this year in training camp, Elgersma will likely battle Sean Clifford for the third quarterback spot.  He can spend the year on the practice squad, learn the NFL game, and battle for the backup spot in 2026.

Overall, this was a smart signing by Gutekunst which has little to no risk and high potential reward if Elgersma does flourish in the NFL.