GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Vince Young will be competing for the Green Bay Packers' backup quarterback job after signing a one-year deal, the team confirmed on Tuesday.
Young flew into Green Bay on Sunday night and worked out with the team the next day. Apparently the 30-year-old quarterback impressed the Packers enough to get a contract offer soon after.
Young last played in the NFL in 2011 with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was released last season in training camp by the Buffalo Bills.
Green Bay already had two backup quarterbacks behind starter Aaron Rodgers, so it was originally thought that Young's presence may not necessarily be to challenge Graham Harrell or B.J. Coleman for the No. 2 job. After allowing Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers to gain 579 yards against them in a divisional-round playoff loss last season, the Packers have practiced against the read-option and pistol offense throughout training camp. Young would certainly serve as a better type of quarterback to defend in that type of formation than Harrell or Coleman.
But, after agreeing to terms on this deal, it is clear that Green Bay has every intention of giving Young a legitimate chance at playing directly behind Rodgers.
Despite the issues that led to him being released by the Tennessee Titans in July 2011, Young has a 31-19 record as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
Harrell has been with the Packers since 2010 and was elevated to the active roster late in the 2011 season. In 2012, Harrell was Green Bay's No. 2 quarterback and, in his only meaningful snap of the season, fumbled and turned the ball over at the goal line after Rodgers had set the offense up for a likely touchdown.
Coleman, a seventh-round pick in 2012, was on the Packers' practice squad as a rookie and has been battling with Harrell throughout training camp to become Green Bay's second-string quarterback this season.
During Saturday night's scrimmage at Lambeau Field, Coleman threw two interceptions, one of which was picked off and returned 66 yards for a touchdown. Coleman's other interception came on a pass he threw into the end zone.
"I thought the first (Coleman interception) was poor," coach Mike McCarthy said on Saturday. "The second one was a jump ball and really didn't give him a chance. He did some good things, but the two turnovers was obviously the black eye for B.J. Coleman."
Young, the third-overall pick in 2006 by the Titans, will be joining the Packers on their 12th day of training camp, so he'll have a relatively short amount of time to learn McCarthy's fairly complex offense. Green Bay's first preseason game is Friday night at home against the Arizona Cardinals.
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