Vince Young Signs Contract with Green Bay Packers

Aug 06, 2013 11:06 AM EDT

Vince Young, known for his ability to run the ball as quarterback and for his finesse as a player, has ended a one-year hiatus from the National Football League (NFL) after signing with the Green Bay Packers for the 2013 season. The renowned college and NFL quarterback is expected to be the backup quarterback behind Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers for the season, and has been working on his mechanics with University of Texas coach Mack Brown for the past year.

With an outstanding performance from Vince Young at the 2006 Rose Bowl, the University of Texas (UT) won the BCS National Championship - one of the most anticipated games in college football history. Although he was not awarded the Heisman Trophy, his versatility as a quarterback made him the third draft pick in the NFL.

Young went on to win the 2006 NFL Rookie of the Year award during his first year with the Tennessee Titans, and played for five seasons with them before signing with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011. After one year with the Eagles, he signed with the Buffalo Bills but was cut before the 2012 season started. Although no other team picked him up at that time, Young desired to return to the NFL and chose not to play in other leagues.

The Green Bay Packers announced Tuesday morning that they have signed a one-year contract with the quarterback. Although Young is expected to be the first in line behind Aaron Rodgers, ESPN analyst Jeff Saturday is concerned that he will not get much playing time. Saturday argued that Young is a capable first-string quarterback, and that being a backup player to Rogers - who he contends is the best quarterback in NFL history - is not an ideal situation for Young. Some say that the match is good for the Packers, since left tackle Bryan Bulaga recently sustained a knee injury and Young would be a good replacement if Rodgers was ever subsequently injured on the field.

Young says that his mechanics have improved after working with coaches at the University of Texas. Longhorn Coach Mack Brown told ESPN that the quarterback has done a lot of good things since his absence from the NFL - “He’s really matured, he’s really grown up, and he needs this opportunity - and good for Green Bay for giving it to him, I think it will pay big dividends for them,” he said.