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We knew roster cuts were coming but we were unprepared for how tough the day can be for young players. Everything has been different in 2020 and the NFL offseason has been no different. With all preseason games canceled, the unproven and primarily undrafted players have only so many chances to shine in front of coaches.
It is tough to do that on a Zoom call.
Which leads us to the biggest cut so far: backup quarterback Kurt Benkert.
One way or another I am good and I am blessed. ✌ It’s a marathon that I won’t stop running for.
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) September 5, 2020
We will always have the 2019 Hall of Fame game. As is pretty standard, the game was primarily for backups. Matt Schaub starting off the game looking like he did not have much left. Benkert came in and showed a lot of potential before his season-ending foot injury.
The former UVA quarterback, who was undrafted in 2018, battled back from injury but was fighting an uphill battle. On the other hand, backup to Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, piled up 460 passing yards against the Seattle Seahawks. The Falcons are prioritizing what they think they need for a backup in 2020, and Schaub showed he could still handle himself against a stout defense.
That was bad news for Benkert, who probably needed a great showing in preseason to win the backup job. He is too talented to remain unemployed for long, but Atlanta’s odd recent signing of backup Kyle Lauletta, also cut, makes it unclear which player they want on the extended practice squad.