The Packers have settled on their third quarterback to open the 2026 season, and it’s the player who came up short against Kyle McCord in last Friday’s preseason finale.
Green Bay plans to sign former Cardinals quarterback Kedon Slovis to the practice squad, Brian Gutekunst said during his Tuesday press conference. That would slot Slovis in as QB3 behind Jordan Love and Tyrod Taylor.
Slovis’ final preseason outing was a mixed bag. Against the Packers’ deep backups, he threw for 223 yards and a touchdown while completing 21 of 35 passes.
He also had two interceptions, both on short throws to backup edge rushers Nyjalik Kelly and Arron Mosby. Mosby’s pick ended up swinging the game, coming after the two-minute warning and setting 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 finished 39-for-61 for 434 yards, two touchdowns and those two interceptions. His 434 passing yards ranked third among all NFL passers in the preseason, trailing only Baltimore’s Joe Fagnano at 509 and McCord at 446.
The path to Green Bay has been a winding one. Slovis went undrafted in 2024, signed with the Colts, and was released at final cuts after that preseason.
He spent his rookie year on Houston’s practice squad, then joined Arizona’s practice squad after Houston cut him around this time last year. The Cardinals elevated him to the active roster in October because of Kyler Murray’s injury, and he appeared in two games, completing one of two passes for minus-2 yards.
His college career also took plenty of turns. Slovis began at USC as a true freshman in 2019, then was injured as a junior and found himself in a battle with Jaxson Dart during the 2021 season.
Both quarterbacks transferred after that year, with Dart heading to Ole Miss and Slovis moving to Pittsburgh. He started 11 games for Pitt in 2022 before transferring again and finishing his final college season at BYU in 2023.
What makes Slovis appealing to Green Bay is the athletic upside. At the 2024 Combine, he ran 4.55 in the 40 with a 1.57-second 10-yard split, both of which rank above the 96th percentile for quarterbacks according to RAS. That gives the Packers a developmental arm and a scout-team option who can help the defense get ready for mobile quarterbacks.
Barring a problem on his physical, Slovis’ signing should be made official when Tuesday’s transactions are filed this afternoon.
In Other News...
Wisconsins Notre Dame Opener Just Got More Interesting For One Reason
With Wisconsin headed into its season opener against No. 4 Notre Dame, the Badgers are already dealing with a potentially shaky spot up front. Concerns around the health of starting offensive linemen Emerson Mandell and Kevin Heywood add another layer to a matchup that was going to demand a clean performance in the trenches from the start.
Notre Dame has its own injury questions entering Week 1, with linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa listed as questionable and wide receiver Quincy Porter ruled out. Porter's absence matters because he was expected to be part of the Irish starting receiver group, while Viliamu-Asa's availability could influence how much depth Notre Dame has on defense when the game begins to tighten up. [Read more 🡒]
Eight Former Badgers Just Earned A New Reason For Fans To Watch
Wisconsin didnt hear any of its own names called in the 2026 NFL Draft, but the follow-up story has been almost as encouraging for Badgers fans keeping tabs on the next level. A cluster of undrafted former Wisconsin players landed free agent deals, got into preseason action, and then made the kind of quiet but meaningful push that keeps a pro career alive through roster season.
After the league's 53-man cutdown, eight former Badgers surfaced on practice squads across the NFL, giving Wisconsin followers plenty of new rooting interests from coast to coast. The group is spread out with the Rams, Dolphins, Eagles, Falcons, Saints, Giants, Panthers, and 49ers, a reminder that even without draft-day headlines, the Badgers still managed to place familiar names in some very watchable places. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Just Made The Notre Dame Lineup Much Harder To Read
Wisconsins game notes are a little less revealing this season, and that matters as the Badgers head into a matchup where every clue counts. The program has stopped releasing weekly depth charts, a change made by the sports information directors rather than the coaching staff, leaving outsiders to piece together the rotation on their own.
Luke Fickell has already acknowledged that some spots remain unsettled, including backup quarterback, and injuries to key players have only added to the uncertainty. The Badgers will still provide injury reports during Big Ten play, but they are not required to do that for non-conference games, which makes this weeks lineup even tougher to handicap. [Read more 🡒]