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It looks as if former Texas Longhorns quarterback Vince Young will get his final shot at playing in the NFL once again on the heels of reports Monday afternoon that he will sign with the Green Bay Packers:
Breaking: Source: Vince Young will sign a 1-year deal with #Packers.
— Josina Anderson (@JosinaAnderson) August 5, 2013
Young apparently did enough during his Monday workout to earn a shot to return to the league even though he hasn't taken a snap since 2011. According to Adam Schefter, the move was brewing for some time:
Packers flirted with idea of signing Vince Young before camp even began. Clearly their backup QBs have underwhelmed.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 5, 2013
Despite a an impressive performance at the Texas Pro Day back in March, Young didn't generate a great deal of interest through the spring or summer, but the play of former Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell, who has only attempted four NFL passes, and second-year player BJ Coleman, who was on the practice squad last season, apparently did not impress enough for the Packers to stand pat.
Harrell was solid in an intra-squad scrimmage on Saturday, throwing for 88 yards on 12 attempts, but Coleman struggled with two interceptions that may have damaged his ability to stay with the team.
Young's mobility and experience may have helped garner the interest, as the Packers recently lost offensive lineman Bryan Bulaga and could need a back-up quarterback with the ability to make off-schedule plays, something for which the pocket-bound Harrell has never been known. And as the article linked above noted, Young could also provide some scout team help for a defense that struggled mightily against the read-option offense used by San Francisco.
If Young does indeed sign with the Packers, it will almost surely be his last chance to play in the NFL.
With his off-field struggles and time away from the NFL, the guess here is that Young is more mature after graduating from Texas this spring and fully understands that with his every move, his professional football career hangs in the balance.
Given the circumstances and the fact that Young still has the ability to play in the NFL, it's hard not to hope for the best, even if it's probably too late for Young to reverse the narrative of his NFL career as a disappointment.