Photo courtesy: Evan Siegle/Packers.com
Canadian quarterback Taylor Elgersma made a statement in his second game of NFL preseason action with the Green Bay Packers.
The London, Ont. native completed seven-of-11 passes for 109 yards in roughly a quarter and a half of action against the Indianapolis Colts, adding one rush for four yards. He led Green Bay on three scoring drives before exiting the game in the fourth quarter.
Elgersma entered the contest with five minutes remaining in the second quarter. He had a 20-yard passing touchdown to tight end Ben Sims wiped out by penalty, but settled for a field goal.
After the intermission, Elgersma returned to the field for the entirety of the third quarter and led a 14-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that lasted over nine minutes. His final series, which seeped into the fourth quarter, was also capped with a rushing touchdown after the quarterback successfully moved the chains with a completion on fourth-and-three.
Sean Clifford, who is in competition with Elgersma for the Packers’ third-string QB job, did not enter the game until late in the fourth quarter. The second-year man out of Penn State completed one-of-four passes for 11 yards, but ran twice for 20 yards and the deciding touchdown as Green Bay won 23-19.
Elgersma signed with the Packers as an undrafted free agent in May following a rookie mini-camp tryout, becoming the fourth Canadian university QB to sign with an NFL team and the first since 1987. He threw a touchdown pass during the Packers Family Night scrimmage on Saturday, August 2 and has flashed despite limited reps in training camp, according to head coach Matt LaFleur.
The 23-year-old saw roughly three minutes of action in the Packers’ first preseason game against the New York Jets, completing three-of-four passes for 24 yards. He converted a fourth-and-five on his final pass, which may have earned him a larger opportunity in this game.
Elgersma won the Hec Crighton Trophy, Canada’s equivalent to the Heisman Trophy, in 2024 while leading Wilfrid Laurier University to a Vanier Cup appearance. That earned him the chance to be the second U Sports player ever invited to the Senior Bowl college all-star game and first Canadian university quarterback.
Over four years with the Golden Hawks, Elgersma completed 72 percent of his passes for 10,230 yards, 76 touchdowns versus 28 interceptions in 39 games. He rushed 122 times for 572 yards, averaging 4.7 per carry, and 18 touchdowns. The QB was twice named the Ontario University Athletics Conference’s Most Valuable Player, earning first-team All-Canadian honours in 2024 and a second-team selection in 2023.
The Packers will wrap up their preseason on Saturday, August 23 when they host the Seattle Seahawks. It will be Elgersma’s final opportunity to earn his way onto an NFL roster or practice squad before final cuts are made.