Joe Callahan's Strenuous Affair With Packers Reaches Its End -- for Now

-- With an influx of quarterbacks on the Green Bay Packers' roster, general manager Brian Gutekunst needed to make a decision on trimming down that position.

Of the four, soon-to-be-five with the addition of undrafted Eastern Kentucky quarterback Tim Boyle, Joe Callahan happened to be the odd man out. The team announced his release on Monday.

Callahan, originally signed as an undrafted quarterback himself in May 2016, has been through the ringer with the Packers in a never-ending revolving door of being released, signed to the practice squad and officially, the active roster.

His electric performance in the 2016 preseason earned him a spot on Green Bay's 53-man roster coming out of training camp, however, he was released just over a month into the season.

Callahan bounced between the New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns in October before finding his way back to the Packers' practice squad in December, and then the active roster -- again -- two weeks later.

The journeyman quarterback would remain on the Packers' roster until September when he fell victim to final cut-downs but was signed to the practice squad less than 24 hours later.

Once Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone in a week six loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Callahan was promoted to the active roster the following Monday to back-up Brett Hundley, who was taking the reins as Green Bay's starting quarterback.

That would last until December when Rodgers returned for the week 15 meeting with the Carolina Panthers, bumping Hundley back down to second string and Callahan to the streets -- only to be re-signed later that week once Rodgers was relocated back to injured reserve where he spent most of his 2017 campaign.

Overall, Callahan was either released, signed to the practice squad or elevated to the active roster 10 times during his stay in Green Bay. The only time he saw the field was in the final minutes of last season's week 17 loss to the Detroit Lions. Callahan completed 5-of-7 passes for just 11 yards, good for a minuscule 1.6 yards per attempt.

The only remaining quarterbacks on the roster are Rodgers, Hundley, DeShone Kizer -- acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Browns in March -- and eventually Boyle, once he signs his undrafted free agent deal.

That could very well be the group Green Bay carries into the season unless Hundley's sub-par play in 2017 makes him a candidate to be used as trade bait.

__________________________

Zachary Jacobson is a staff writer/reporter for Cheesehead TV. He's the voice of The Leap on iTunes and can be heard on The Scoop KLGR 1490 AM every Saturday morning. He's also a contributor on the Pack-A-Day Podcast. He can be found on Twitter via @ZachAJacobson or contacted through email at [email protected].

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Comments (30)

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HankScorpio's picture

April 30, 2018 at 10:52 pm

My best guess at the makeup of the QB room for 2018 is Rodgers and Kizer on the active roster, Boyle on the PS and Hundley soon to join Callahan as an ex-Packer.

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John Kirk's picture

April 30, 2018 at 11:24 pm

As to Hundley...you're a real gumshoe, Hank. Hope you're right. #DadGum

What is Brett Hundley's favorite soup? #Gumbo

Favorite cartoon character and ex-Brewer? #Gumby

What did Brett Hundley lack? #Gumption

Favorite Chinese food style? #DimGum

Favorite sports announcer? Tie #GregGumbel #BryantGumbel

Favorite song? #DoesYourChewingGumLoseItsFlavorOnTheBedpostOvernight

Biggest fear? #GumDisease

Favorite band? #GumsAndRoses

Goal in life? #PlayQBandChewGumAtTheSameTime

Favorite SImpson's character? #BleedingGumsMurphy

Favorite Christmas song? #OGumAllYeFaithful

Favorite bear? #GummyBears

What does Hundley want at his funeral? #21GumSalute

and, finally, finally...

What will Brett Hundley's dyslexic fan club send him as a parting gift when he's released? #Mug

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4thand1's picture

May 01, 2018 at 12:08 am

Being dyslexic trying to read one of your posts would be a gift.

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John Kirk's picture

May 02, 2018 at 12:42 pm

sknaht#

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Finwiz's picture

May 02, 2018 at 01:05 pm

I was thinking about this last night.....

The primary impetus behind the grey fox (TT) losing his job, and a major indicator of incompetence, was his drafting and sticking with Hundley. Not to mention the fact he had no other suitable backup on the roster. That will go down in the history books as one of the all time biggest F-ups in the Packer annals.

And to compound matters, he didn't keep a relatively talented guy like Taysom Hill around, and instead stuck with Callahan as 3rd string. The guy was senile or had some other issue with talent evaluations like this.

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Hawg Hanner's picture

May 02, 2018 at 03:09 pm

Boy are you right! Still can't figure why Thompson was kept around. So much ineptitude.

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Finwiz's picture

May 02, 2018 at 01:06 pm

21 Gum Salute....that's the best one. LMAO

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baldski's picture

May 01, 2018 at 12:33 am

The guy that should still be on the roster is Taysom Hill. another TT screw up.

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jh9's picture

May 01, 2018 at 04:48 am

True that.

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Fire_Gute's picture

May 01, 2018 at 08:09 am

The fact that they didn't place montravious adams on the pup list is the biggest screw up. He didn't suit up until after he could have come off the list and was just a waste of a roster spot. Hill should have taken that spot.

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HarlanHuckleby's picture

May 01, 2018 at 07:21 pm

If only they would have kept a scrub-ass QB on the 53-man roster for the whole year last year would have been different. Shame on TT.

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Finwiz's picture

May 02, 2018 at 01:07 pm

Compounded by the fact he KEPT Callahan and cut Hill on top of it all.
The guy was slipping mentally, and it happened right before everybody's eyes.

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TKWorldWide's picture

May 01, 2018 at 06:01 am

I wish him well.

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Fire_Gute's picture

May 01, 2018 at 08:26 am

I think he'll be a camp arm somewhere and I'd like to see him in the new league next year. I'd like to have a team to cheer for

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Fire_Gute's picture

May 01, 2018 at 08:26 am

I think he'll be a camp arm somewhere and I'd like to see him in the new league next year. I'd like to have a team to cheer for

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Rustyweezee's picture

May 01, 2018 at 06:24 am

What we don't know is why MM never even gave Callahan any garbage time snaps when it was apparent Hundley would never be more than what we saw. In my mind, it was most likely that they didn't want it to look like an admission that they'd made a mistake in making Hundley their backup QB, along with not wanting to damage Hundley's confidence. But what if it was actually their knowledge of Callahan's ability that kept them from putting him out there? Could he actually have been a QB that bounced around for a couple years because he didn't have the talent to stick around anywhere? Hm. Might be worth consideration.

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TKWorldWide's picture

May 01, 2018 at 07:28 am

I think he’s heavy on the intangibles but too light on the measurables.

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Big_Mel_75's picture

May 01, 2018 at 08:58 am

I couldn't figure out why they never gave Callahan a shot. You knew what you had in Hundley.. NOTHING.. It couldn't have gotten worse then what Hundley did...

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Fire_Gute's picture

May 01, 2018 at 08:05 am

I'm not sure how Hundley is trade bait. Everyone else saw the same games we did. I bet he gets a chance somewhere but no one is going to pay anything for that chance. And the fact that he's not practice squad eligible won't help him.

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Since'61's picture

May 01, 2018 at 08:51 am

Callahan today, hopefully Hundley tomorrow. Keep chucking guys who can't play and improving the roster with better players. Thanks, '61

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dobber's picture

May 01, 2018 at 09:12 am

For good or for ill, I have absolutely no doubt that Hundley will make it all the way to the final cutdown in August to suck up preseason snaps and to maintain what little hope they might still have of getting something for him. Unless Kizer gets hurt, I'd be shocked to see Hundley on the 53, and if Kizer DID get hurt, I'd hope the Packers went to the wire to find help.

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PAPackerbacker's picture

May 01, 2018 at 07:36 pm

Should have been the other way around, Hundley first, then maybe Callahan. Hill should still be there.

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Finwiz's picture

May 01, 2018 at 09:08 am

Yeah, Hundley please be gone soon! Keep the roster churn rollin'.
I'm not sure who was the driving force behind drafting that guy, (Old man Ted?) but that has to be viewed as one of the biggest failures of the last 10 years, from a talent evaluation perspective.

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11Bravo1p's picture

May 01, 2018 at 09:42 am

Huntley was a 5th round pick. Didn’t work out, but it was a decent late round pick, not one of the worst draft picks in the last 10 ten years.

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marpag1's picture

May 01, 2018 at 09:06 am

Calla-who?

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cheesehead1's picture

May 01, 2018 at 10:29 am

Agree, should have kept Hill, can’t see Hundley making it after disappointing performances last year.

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Bill Atkinson's picture

May 01, 2018 at 11:20 am

Tim Boyle completed 61.5 percent of his passes for 2,134 yards with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions at UConn and the team was 4-7. Callahan at least knows the system.

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Demon's picture

May 01, 2018 at 08:06 pm

Callahan must have went out and stunk up the field in practice. Hard to believe Hundley beat him out for a job last year and was able to stick so far this year.

If any of us had to write a positive critique of Hundley, what would it be?

Seems like a nice fella?
Has a nice hair cut?

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Shavager's picture

May 01, 2018 at 09:55 pm

Hundley's weaknesses at UCLA were successful throws 10-15 yds from scrimmage but no long ball success and to many INT's. He ain't changed in 3 years in GB, hello McCarthy--the Hundley experiment failed. Packers should've traded/released Hundley, gave Callahan a shot in camp---Pack fans--at least Callahan STILL has PS potential--Hundley does NOT, so if Kizer beats him out--Boyle goes to PS, Hundley's gone--and NO Callahan around to fall back on IF Rodgers and Kizer get injured. PACK ALERT--Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett signed with New Orleans Saints--maybe IF Barrett wins a QB spot--Taysom Hill becomes available and Packers can put him where he belonged to begin with--in Lambeau, NO THANKS to Teddy 'Bargain Basement' Thompson.

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4thand1's picture

May 02, 2018 at 01:25 pm

We only need one back up QB, if god forbid AR gets hurt again, bring Joe C back. Or Dirty Harry Callahan, whadda say punk., we need more mean lol

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