By Jennifer Eisenbart
Sports editor
Years from now, when people look at the Green Bay Packers’ record books and see the records set Sunday against the Detroit Lions, I wonder how many people will remember the name Matt Flynn.
Certainly, Green Bay – and the state of Wisconsin – will always remember Brett Favre and likely Aaron Rodgers. Given that the two seem destined to be basically the only starting quarterbacks for the Packers (Flynn’s one-game start notwithstanding) in a 20-year span, though, Flynn might become a footnote – as a back-up quarterback.
That footnote, though, comes with a certain amount of honor and class. For while Flynn will hold a record for most touchdowns and passing yards for the Packers, he will likely go on now to start for another NFL team. A free agent this year, I’d feel pretty safe in predicting someone will pick up Flynn and make them their starter next season.
If that happens, he’d join some pretty awesome company. Mark Brunell, Aaron Brooks and Matt Hasselback all went on to starting jobs with other teams after backing up Favre. Certainly, the three had plenty of time to learn, as Favre’s record of 321 consecutive starts isn’t likely to get broken anytime soon.
But in making the decision to let Favre accept the consequences of retirement and go with Aaron Rodgers, the Packers kept arguably the best back-up they ever had and created a new tradition. Judging by Flynn’s performance Sunday against the Detroit Lions, he’s on his way to being the next former Green Bay back-up becoming a starter.
Flynn’s performance Sunday shouldn’t have been as much a surprise as it was. Certainly Flynn had shown flashes of brilliance in the little playing time allotted him. In his only other previous start, Flynn actually had the Packers on the verge of victory AT New England in 2010.
Given how Flynn was sacked on the final play of the game, I’m not sure Rodgers would’ve saved that game.
So, in my mind, Flynn has proven himself twice against playoff teams. And God knows there are enough teams in search of a new starting quarterback right now. It’s possible Flynn could go to Chicago, but somehow, I don’t see either team letting that happen.
Beyond that, several teams right now are hurting at the QB spot – Kansas City, Denver and Indianapolis to name a few. KC needs someone, Denver likely hasn’t found an answer in Tim Tebow and Indianapolis may have to start looking at the post-Peyton Manning era.
Appropriately, Flynn isn’t looking that far ahead. He said Sunday following the game that the only thing that matters right now is the Packers’ playoff run. That’s all right and proper – and should something happen to Rodgers (God forbid), Green Bay Packers’ fans have plenty of reason to believe the show will go on.
But it’s nice to see Flynn step up and make his own name – and nice to have yet another name likely to join the list of “Former Green Bay Packers’ back-up quarterbacks who have gone on to start for another team.” Yeah, that list title is a little long.
But if you think about it, the list it belongs to is getting to be a little long itself.
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