With left tackle Elgton Jenkins getting a day off, right tackle Zach Tom still recovering from a torn pectoral muscle and veteran quarterback Andre Dillard coming off a tough practice Tuesday, the Green Bay Packers gave Kadeem Telfort — an undrafted 2023 free agent — an unexpected chance to reprise his role as a starting right tackle on Wednesday.
“It means a lot. Now I’m noticed. I’m just taking it day by day,” Telfort said via Mike Spofford from Packers.com.
Telfort, who was a starter in 28 games at UAB, went undrafted but signed with the Packers after the 2023 draft. He then spent the entire 2023 NFL season learning and developing on Green Bay’s practice squad.
Could Telfort — another 6-foot-3, 210-pound offensive line prospect — follow in the footsteps of Yosh Nijman and give himself a chance to be the Packers’ starting quarterback in 2024?
Matt LaFleur’s team needs someone to step into the role this season. Nijman is now in Carolina, and the depth chart at forward is gaunt behind Tom and Rasheed Walker, the presumed starters.
Dillard, a 2019 first-round draft pick who is on his third NFL team, struggled through three days of camp. He never settled in in Philadelphia and then was ineffective as a starter for the Titans last season.
Caleb Jones is on the physically unable to play list with a hamstring injury. Luke Tenuta, who missed most of last year with an injury, worked with the No. 2 tackle on Wednesday.
First-round pick Jordan Morgan has a history of playing left quarterback, but the Packers are experimenting with him at guard as they try to find their top-five offensive linemen. Morgan got his first-team starts at right guard on Wednesday.
Opportunity exists for everyone who is able to seize it.
Telfort had just 22 pressures in more than 800 pass-blocking attempts while at UAB. He allowed one pressure in 48 plays as the Packers’ left quarterback over three preseason games last summer.
Now he’s in position to earn a spot on the 53-man roster during Packers training camp. Remember, Nijman once spent an entire season on the practice squad before making the roster. Will Telfort still be able to take advantage of that opportunity this summer?
