The Green Bay Packers haven't had much turnover at the starting quarterback position over the last 30 years, but the rest of the roster has seen its fair share of players. Here are five that you may have forgotten played in Green Bay.
5. Jim McMahon, 1995-1996
McMahon spent the first seven years of his career with the Chicago Bears, and was the team's starter when they won Super Bowl XX. He was never a great player, but did make the Pro Bowl in 1985, and was good enough to manage the game while Walter Payton and the defense did most of the work. From 1989 to 1994, McMahon played for the San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, and Arizona Cardinals, primarily as a backup.
In 1995 at the age of 36, McMahon signed with the Packers to back up Brett Favre, and won his second Super Bowl the following season, his last in the NFL. Seeing one of their team's all-time biggest personalities finish his career with a division rival could not have been easy for Bears fans.
4. Jeff Saturday, 2012
For 13 seasons, Saturday was the anchor of the Indianapolis Colts offensive line, protecting legendary quarterback Peyton Manning. At the age of 37, Saturday signed with the Packers on a two-year deal. He played fine, but was benched after 14 games, and played only two snaps in the team's Divisional Round loss to the San Francisco 49ers. He was still voted to the Pro Bowl on name recognition, and despite playing in the NFC as opposed to Manning in the AFC with the Denver Broncos, got to snap one last ball to his longtime QB..
3. Martellus Bennett, 2017
Bennett was one of the league's better tight ends from 2012-2016, and seemed like a good replacement for the departed Jared Cook. Bennett's tenure with the Packers came to an ugly end after seven games (in which he did little), when Green Bay cut him, claiming that Bennett had failed to disclose a shoulder injury (torn rotator cuff) prior to being signed. He was claimed off waivers by the New England Patriots (whom he was with prior to signing with Green Bay), but was unable to help the team during its run to the Super Bowl due to his injuries. Bennett was released after the season and promptly retired.
2. Terry Glenn, 2002
The seventh overall pick in 1996, Glenn spent six years with the Patriots, and played pretty well, earning a six-year, $50 million contract in 2000. But off-field issues led to him missing 12 games in 2001, and was suspended by the team for the entire postseason. New England won the Super Bowl that year, but did not offer a ring to Glenn. That offseason, he was traded to the Packers for what eventually became two fourth-round picks.
Injuries reduced Glenn's effectiveness in the Packers, but he still caught 56 passes for 817 yards and two touchdowns. After the season, Glenn was dealt to the Dallas Cowboys for a sixth-rounder, and played five years in Dallas before retiring.
1. Mark Brunell, 1993-1994
Brunell played 17 years in the NFL, nine of those with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He is the best QB in franchise history, 63-54 as a starter and throwing for 25,698 yards and 144 touchdowns. Before joining the Jags in 1995, however, Brunell spent two years backing up Favre in Green Bay. He was a sixth-round pick in 1993, and didn't see any playing time as a rookie. In year two, Brunell attempted 27 passes in two games in relief of Favre.
Following the season, Brunell was a restricted free agent, and was offered a contract by the Philadelphia Eagles to become Randall Cunningham's backup. The Packers and Eagles engaged in trade negotiations, but Brunell remained a Packer, as he didn't want to sign a long-term deal just to remain a backup.
The Jaguars, however, had just entered the NFL, and were seeking their starting QB. They sent third and fifth-round selections to Green Bay for Brunell, and extended him for three years. It was a significant risk considering how little Brunell had played to that point, but things worked out pretty well for Jacksonville. It would be 11 years before the Packers sunk real capital into the QB position, as Favre proved to be a franchise QB. He had thrown 19 touchdowns to 24 picks in Brunell's rookie year, but in 1994 he began one of the greatest QB stretches in NFL history, going 2-0 against Brunell's Jaguars.
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