The Packers have settled on their third quarterback to open the 2026 season, and it’s the guy who came up just short against Kyle McCord in Friday’s preseason finale.
General manager Brian Gutekunst said Tuesday that Green Bay plans to sign former Cardinals quarterback Kedon Slovis to the practice squad, putting him behind Jordan Love and Tyrod Taylor in the QB room.
Slovis’ last game with Arizona was a mixed bag. He finished 21 of 35 for 223 yards and a touchdown, but he also tossed two interceptions against the Packers’ backups.
Both picks came on short throws to Green Bay edge rushers - Nyjalik Kelly and Arron Mosby - and Mosby’s takeaway ended up swinging the game. It came right after the two-minute warning and set up McCord and the Packers offense for a go-ahead touchdown drive in a 42-38 win.
Over Arizona’s four preseason games, including the Hall of Fame Game, Slovis completed 39 of 61 passes for 434 yards, two touchdowns and those two interceptions. His 434 passing yards ranked third among all NFL passers in the preseason, trailing Baltimore’s Joe Fagnano at 509 and McCord at 446.
Slovis has had a winding pro path since going undrafted in 2024. He first signed with the Colts as a free agent, got released at final cuts after that preseason, then spent his rookie year on the Texans’ practice squad.
Houston let him go last year, and the Cardinals added him to their practice squad to open 2025 before promoting him to the active roster in October after Kyler Murray was hurt. He appeared in two games and completed one of two passes for minus-2 yards.
His college career bounced around too. Slovis started at USC as a true freshman in 2019, missed time as a junior, and ended up in a quarterback battle with Jaxson Dart during the 2021 season.
Both moved on after that year, with Dart headed to Ole Miss and Slovis transferring to Pittsburgh. He started 11 games for Pitt in 2022 and then finished at BYU in 2023.
What keeps Slovis interesting for Green Bay is the athleticism. At the 2024 Combine, he ran a 4.55 in the 40 with a 1.57-second 10-yard split, both marks landing above the 96th percentile for quarterbacks, according to RAS. That gives the Packers a developmental arm with enough mobility to help on the scout-team side, especially when the defense needs to get ready for athletic quarterbacks.
Unless something comes up on his physical, the signing should become official when Tuesday’s transactions are filed later in the day.
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