GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Surprised doesn’t even begin to describe how DeShone Kizer felt when he learned he had been traded from the Cleveland Browns to the Green Bay Packers earlier this month.
But whatever team he played for in 2018, Kizer felt strongly that he would be a better quarterback.
Better than the one who ranked last among all regular starters in completion percentage (53.6) last season.
Better than the one who threw a league-high 22 interceptions -- six more than anyone else.
Better than the one who lost all 15 of his starts for the winless Browns.
That’s because Kizer went to work with quarterback guru Tom House, best known as Tom Brady's personal coach. House, who is based in Huntington Beach, California, also lists Drew Brees, Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan and Matthew Stafford among his many clients.
“After going through the season we went through last year and having some accuracy things in college, I think I found my stroke,” Kizer said Friday on a conference call. “I feel like I’m throwing the ball the best I’ve ever thrown it right now, and now walking into a system that has been very quarterback friendly through the history of their organization, I think I’ll be able to go out and hopefully step up my game to another level and be able to become a more accurate passer.”
Kizer certainly didn’t think it would be with the Packers -- not after winning the starting job during his rookie training camp last summer and making it through almost the entire season.
Now, his mindset must shift from preparing to be the starter to competing with Brett Hundley and Joe Callahan for the backup job behind Aaron Rodgers.
“Very surprised,” Kizer said when asked about the trade.
"Obviously, going through this offseason, [I was] trying to develop as much as I can and learn from everything that I went through last year in Cleveland and was trying to prepare myself to go back and become a better quarterback and get to winning in Cleveland," he added. "When stuff like this happens, you really can’t be prepared for it. The only thing I really know is the situation I had in Cleveland, but, obviously, [I’m] very excited now. Looking back at it, I think it’s going to be an awesome opportunity to take a step back and learn from some great developers of the game and be around some great competitors and get back to winning the way I know how to.”
The Packers showed an interest in Kizer last year at this time when he was coming out of Notre Dame a year early. They had the first overall pick in the second round (No. 33 overall) in a trade with the Browns, who took Kizer later in that round (No. 52).
New Packers GM Brian Gutekunst made no secret of his desire to upgrade the competition behind Rodgers after Hundley’s inconsistent performance following Rodgers’ collarbone injury last season. Packers coach Mike McCarthy admitted this offseason that Hundley “wasn’t ready for what he needed to be ready for.”
In that sense, Hundley and Kizer may have the same goals when the offseason program begins on April 16.
“It’s about finding consistency once again,” Kizer said.
“I think there’s two ways of learning in this league. It’s either from behind the scenes and watching the guy who’s out there doing it -- i.e., Aaron -- or being out there and playing yourself. That was the situation where I had to go out there and learn by fire. Obviously, a very unique situation going 0-15 in my 15 starts, but I think I got a lot of experience out of it and I'm looking forward to building off of it."