Alex McGough grew into a spring football star over the 2023 USFL season before signing with the Green Bay Packers and sticking with them all year. Fast forward to the 2024 offseason, and the Packers select Michael Pratt in round seven. With Jordan Love entrenched as the starter, and 2023 5th-round pick Sean Clifford as the QB2, McGough was nothing more than an unnecessary luxury.
Following the move to select Pratt, the Packers opted to try McGough as a wide receiver. This was not his first experience at the position thanks to some depth concerns for the Stallions in 2022. McGough lined up at wide receiver and saw multiple plays at the position even being targeted by QB J’Mar Smith whom he later supplanted at quarterback in 2023.
McGough coming out of Florida International University ran a 4.62 40-yard dash at 6’3 215 pounds. He also managed a 1.6 10-yard split and a 32.5-inch vertical leap. While these may not be eye-popping for a wide receiver, they were attractive numbers as a quarterback. The question here is, does McGough have a future at quarterback in the NFL?
The Unfortunate Truth
The truth is, the Green Bay Packers were the most likely NFL team to keep McGough at quarterback relying on his previous NFL, and USFL experience to add depth at quarterback. After a full season with the team, they believed a 22-year-old rookie 7th-round pick presented them with a better option than McGough could at 28 years old. McGough was originally selected in 2018, now six seasons ago, and has fallen out of favor with the NFL as a quarterback.
In my humble opinion he has two choices; accept that he can finish his career in the UFL as a quarterback and likely start until he’s ready to retire, or he can try and go all in at wide receiver and reinvent himself for one last stab at finding a long term home in the NFL. McGough has the size, and athleticism to play the position, and I would venture a guess the career quarterback has never taken the time to focus on speed and agility drills to improve in those areas. I would imagine his focus was developing as a passer.
McGough Should Consider Working with a Receiver Coach
McGough could very easily dedicate himself to this new position, and find a wide receiver coach or just a seasoned veteran to work with. McGough has played with or around some very talented NFL and UFL wideouts. Players like Brandon Marshall, Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett, Dj Chark, Brandin Cooks, Randall Cobb, Kenny Stills, Nico Collins, D.K. Metcalf, Romeo Doubs, and Christian Watson all come to mind as players he could link up with.
He has a list of former coaches he could lean on as well. We won’t rehash every coach he’s come in contact with over the years. However, his former college Head Coach could be a great option. Ron Turner spent 19 seasons coaching wide receivers or coordinating offenses at the college and NFL level. Turner has been out of coaching since the 2017 season after serving as a consultant with the Panthers.
Another option? Morgan Turner, Ron’s son and current Tight Ends coach for Arkansas. He is known for coaching players like Zach Ertz, Dalton Schultz, Austin Hooper, and more over his 12 seasons coaching tight ends. Honestly, McGough could in theory try and add some weight and attempt to play as a “move” tight end as well, it wouldn’t be unheard of for a former quarterback turned tight end to find success in the NFL; Logan Thomas, or Trey Burton anyone?
1 Comment
by Ken Granito
McGough is special as a quarterback, where he is a dime a dozen at receiver. I just can’t believe there isn’t a place for such a mobile QB that can both throw and run in this day and age. Good luck to him.