The Green Bay Packers have signed free agent quarterback Matt Blanchard to a contract this week, with his agent Paul Sheehy announcing the news on Twitter that his client joined the franchise ahead of offseason workouts.
According to Pro Football Talk, Blanchard was with the Carolina Panthers last year and was on the injured reserve list after dealing with a concussion. Blanchard was later released by the team after agreeing to an injury settlement. Blanchard has not yet officially thrown a pass in the NFL, but he put up some great numbers while in college when he played for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks.
Blanchard was an undrafted free agent out of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and previously was with the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers. According to Pro Football Talk, Blanchard was on the practice squad for the Bears during the 2012 season and spent 2013 on the practice squad of the Carolina Panthers.
According to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football website, Blanchard did not lose a game when he was with the team, going 45-0. During that stretch of years, the team won three national championships in Division III and according to Fox Sports stats, Blanchard threw for 5,106 yards with 44 touchdowns and six interceptions in his career.
Pro Football Talk added in the report that Blanchard's stint with the Packers could be short if the team takes a quarterback in the upcoming NFL draft. Teams often add players ahead of offseason workouts to fill out the depth chart and Blanchard will be third behind Rodgers and Tolzien.
The Packers have previously signed players who were with colleges in the area, including Tolzien, who played at the University of Wisconsin. Tolzien re-signed with the team in the offseason on a one year deal and he got action the preseason, throwing for 477 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions. According to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football website, Blanchard threw for 2,852 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2011 and he holds a number of school records, including all-time completion percentage. Blanchard originally signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent.
