Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Manny Wilkins has had to wait a long time to start another football game. He finally got that opportunity this weekend, and made the most of it.
The St. Louis Battlehawks had to play without their UFL MVP contender in A.J. McCarron in Week 8 against the DC Defenders. That forced them to start their backup in Wilkins, who was with the Packers during the 2019 season as an undrafted free agent.
It was the first start for Wilkins since college, and he thrived in his professional debut. He threw for 126 yards and rushed for another 82, leading the Battlehawks to a crucial 26-21 victory that helped the team clinch a playoff berth.
WHOOP pic.twitter.com/IvuMNxKqQk
— St. Louis Battlehawks (@XFLBattlehawks) May 19, 2024
For someone who hadn’t gotten to be a starting quarterback in more than half a decade, Wilkins held his own in the win.
Who Is Manny Wilkins?
He may not have been a household name, but Wilkins was able to stick around on the Packers roster for an entire season.
Wilkins was a 4-star recruit and one of the top dual-threat QBs in the country back in 2014. His offers included Arizona, Utah State, and Wyoming. He decided instead to try his luck for the Arizona State Sun Devils.
The Sun Devils made Wilkins the starter as a redshirt sophomore in 2016. While the team didn’t have a particularly successful stretch in his three years as the starter, Wilkins did set a program record with 192 consecutive passes without an interception.
In 36 games, Wilkins threw for 8,624 yards, 52 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions. He added another 980 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground over that span.
Unfortunately, Wilkins drew little NFL interest after graduating. He went undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft before being scooped up by the Packers. He was stashed on the team’s practice squad for his entire rookie season, but was released the following year.
Wilkins was out of work for nearly three years before finally getting his next opportunity. He signed with the Battlehawks in 2023, and then re-signed prior to this most recent season.
Now, Wilkins finally has a game of professional football under his belt, helping lead his team to the UFL playoffs.
Noteworthy Packers Backup Quarterbacks
While Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre have stolen the show over the years, there have also been some notable backup quarterbacks in Green Bay.
During the Favre years, noteworthy backup quarterbacks included Matt Hasselbeck and Kurt Warner. Even current Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson served as the backup in Green Bay from 2001 through 2004.
Aaron Brooks, Mark Brunell, and Ty Detmer all got their starts as Packers backups behind Favre as well.
During the Rodgers era, Matt Flynn became a folk hero in Green Bay. Starting a meaningless Week 17 game against the Detroit Lions in 2012, Flynn threw for 480 yards and six touchdowns in a 45-41 shootout. He went on to sign a $26 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks, only to lose the starting job to rookie quarterback Russell Wilson.
Now, the Packers are hoping to develop some other noteworthy backups behind Jordan Love. The competition between Sean Clifford and rookie Michael Pratt for QB2 will be one of the more interesting training camp battles to watch during the Packers preseason.
