Green Bay Packers quarterback Kurt Benkert played two snaps in his first active NFL game on Sunday night, and Aaron Rodgers is at least partially responsible.
Coach Matt LaFleur said Rodgers pushed for Benkert to get the final kneeldown snaps to finish off the 45-30 win over the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field.
“Matter of fact, Aaron came up to me right before that and just wanted to make sure, because it was a special occasion, what has been? Four years in the league, first time dressing? He said, hey, let Kurt take the victory snaps. I said absolutely. It’s a well-deserved honor,” LaFleur said Monday.
Benkert kneeled twice for -2 yards after Chandon Sullivan’s interception late in the fourth quarter, representing the first NFL regular season action of his career.
He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2018. After spending three years but never appearing in a game for the Atlanta Falcons, Benkert signed with the Packers in May and won a job on the practice squad as the No. 3 quarterback during training camp.
Sunday night’s opportunity led to this incredible post-game tweet from Benkert:
W. #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/M91y5v32GD
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) December 13, 2021
Benkert was active for the Packers as a replacement for backup Jordan Love, who was on the COVID-19 reserve list. Kneeling down to end games has become a rite of passage for Rodgers backups in recent years, with both Love and Tim Boyle handling the honors since LaFleur arrived.
In fact, Boyle kneeled 18 times over 11 games with the Packers during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Love kneeled three times to finish out a Week 2 win earlier this season.
Benkert is expected to revert back to the practice squad. Love will regain the job as the No. 2 quarterback once he returns from the COVID-19 reserve list.
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