FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Revisiting each stop of veteran quarterback Matt Flynn's career with insight from beat reporters, as Flynn has signed a one-year deal with the New England Patriots:
Green Bay Packers (2008-11)
"Flynn was almost an afterthought as a seventh-round pick; everyone thought Brian Brohm, who was picked in the second round that same year, would be Aaron Rodgers’ backup. But it became apparent early in camp that it would be Flynn, who didn’t so much win the job as Brohm lost it. Brohm was awful. But the one thing about Flynn that became obvious right away was his ability to pick up coach Mike McCarthy’s complicated West Coast offense. Still, no one really knew what he could do until late in the 2010 season, when he started against the Patriots and nearly led the Packers to victory. If Flynn didn’t make himself some money that day, he did in the 2011 regular-season finale when he threw for 480 yards and six touchdowns against the Lions while the Packers rested Rodgers for the playoffs. It was perfect timing given that he became a free agent the following offseason." -- Rob Demovsky, ESPN.com NFL Nation Packers reporter
Seattle Seahawks (2012)
"Matt Flynn is the $20 million man who never started a game for the Seahawks. Who could have imagined that a rookie 5-foot-10 third-round draft choice would beat out the man the Seahawks signed in 2012 to a three-year, $20.5 million deal ($9 million guaranteed) to be their starter? That’s exactly what happened when Russell Wilson came to training camp and wowed everyone with his talent, clearly outshining Flynn from Day 1. Wilson was better than Flynn is every area -- athleticism, throwing accuracy, arm strength and running ability. Even so, it was a courageous step for Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell to name an unproven rookie as the starter over the veteran they signed for big money five months earlier. A lot of team owners would have balked at that idea, but Seahawks owner Paul Allen gave it his blessing, telling Carroll to do what he thought was best for the team. The rest, as they say, is history. Wilson is the best quarterback in franchise history, leading the Seahawks to three consecutive playoff appearances and back-to-back Super Bowls, including the victory over Denver in Super Bowl XLVIII. And Flynn now is going to his fourth team since Wilson beat him out." -- Terry Blount, ESPN.com NFL Nation Seahawks reporter
Oakland Raiders (2013)
"The Raiders were desperate for a quarterback given the situation with Carson Palmer, so they traded for Flynn. The connection was that Flynn and general manager Reggie McKenzie were in Green Bay together, when McKenzie was director of player personnel. Flynn went to camp as the starter, which was really his chance to show he could be the top guy, but he didn't show much. Then he had an arm injury late in camp and it just sort of fizzled out from there." -- Bill Williamson, ESPN.com NFL Nation Raiders reporter
Buffalo Bills (2013)
"One of 12 quarterbacks to make a stop in Buffalo over the past two years, Flynn spent three weeks with the Bills in late October of the 2013 season. The move came after injuries to EJ Manuel and Thad Lewis in back-to-back games, leaving then-rookie Jeff Tuel as the only healthy quarterback on the roster. Coach Doug Marrone didn’t have to immediately choose between starting Flynn or Tuel because Lewis returned for the next two games. When Lewis was injured again, Marrone turned to Tuel – and not Flynn -- in a Week 9 start against the then-undefetaed Chiefs. Flynn was released the next day. It was a tight spot for Flynn -- as it would be for any quarterback joining a team midseason -- and coaches simply felt more comfortable with Tuel as the backup." -- Mike Rodak, ESPN.com NFL Nation Bills reporter
Green Bay Packers (2013-14)
"Flynn’s arm strength wasn’t the same when he returned to the Packers. While he said he had no lingering issues from the elbow troubles he had in Seattle and Oakland, something slowed down his fastball. However, his familiarity with the system still allowed him to be relatively successful even though he couldn’t drive the ball down the field. Really, he saved the Packers in 2013 when Rodgers broke his collarbone. After trying Seneca Wallace and Scott Tolzien, they turned to Flynn, who won the Packers' only two games without Rodgers. He retained the No. 2 spot in 2014 even though Tolzien outplayed him in the preseason. The reason: his vast experience in the offense. But at the end of the year, the Packers felt Tolzien’s upside was better so they re-signed him and decided to move on from Flynn." -- Rob Demovsky, ESPN.com NFL Nation Packers reporter
