Reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers quickly established himself as one of the game's best starting quarterbacks, and former seventh-round pick Matt Flynn did enough in a backup role to Rodgers that the Seattle Seahawks spent almost $25 million on acquiring his services this offseason.

Yet for the 2012 season—at least—it appears as if the Packers will not have that same kind of opulence at the quarterback position. The players vying to backup Rodgers next season are laced with question marks, which leaves the position as a legitimate worry for the Packers leading into 2012.

Time will tell whether or not the team's lack of an established backup will come back to bite the Packers. History will tell us, however, that the Packers are playing with fire with their backup quarterback situation next season.

A couple of recent examples regarding backup quarterbacks stand out.

The first came on a sunny 2008 afternoon in Tampa Bay, Florida, where Rodgers—a first-year starter at the time—was knocked out of a Week 4 contest with the Buccaneers with a shoulder injury. The pain cost Rodgers a series in the fourth quarter, which forced rookie Matt Flynn into the game with the Packers up, 21-20.

Green Bay quickly went three-and-out, gave the Bucs the ball back and watched Brian Griese lead Tampa Bay into position for a field goal. Matt Bryant's kick split the uprights, and Rodgers then re-entered the game with the Packers down two and a little more than two minutes left.

Rodgers, who the medical staff wanted to bench indefinitely, threw an interception on the Packers' second play of the drive. Flynn then came in after the Bucs converted the turnover into a touchdown on their next series and proceeded to throw four straight incompletions to essentially end the game.

Flynn certainly wasn't at fault for the Packers' loss, but his lack of comfort level leading an NFL offense as a rookie was woefully apparent. Flynn would eventually become ready for that role behind Rodgers, but he was far off early in 2008 as a raw rookie quarterback.

Green Bay's divisional neighbors to the south provided the Packers' a worst case scenario for 2012 last season.

The Chicago Bears were well on their way to a second straight playoff appearance in 2011, racing out to a 7-3 mark after beating San Diego in Week 11. But the win proved to be costly for the Bears, as quarterback Jay Cutler would be lost for the remainder of the season with an injured thumb.

The Bears season went into a complete tailspin following Cutler's injury.

Backup Caleb Hanie compiled a passer rating of 41.8 in the Bears' four subsequent games, all of which ended in Chicago losses. Coach Lovie Smith then turned to journeyman quarterback Josh McCown, who beat the Minnesota Vikings in the season finale but failed to turn a 199-yard rushing performance against the Packers into anything more than 21 points in a Week 16 loss.

A 1-5 finish to the Bears season turned what should have been another contending football team into one picking in the top 20 of the draft.

When assessing the Packers backup situation, ask yourself this question: Is there enough behind Rodgers for next season to think either of the above scenarios couldn't be repeated?

As it currently stands, Graham Harrell, B.J. Coleman and Nick Hill are competing for the two backup spots behind Rodgers.

Harrell has two years in the Packers system but seems far from a lock to be the Packers No. 2 quarterback next season. Would he be prepared to play a full game in the Packers' offense if Rodgers went down with an injury in Week 4? In Flynn's third year, the Packers nearly upset the one-loss Patriots in a nationally televised game in New England. Is Harrell currently capable—even with another offseason under Mike McCarthy and Tom Clements—to do the same?

Of course, Coleman could pull a Flynn and win the backup job as a seventh-round rookie. But is he any more or less prepared to play significant snaps if Rodgers is knocked out of a game than Flynn was in '08? Coleman showed a big arm at the Packers' rookie minicamp this past weekend, but he's even more raw right now than Flynn was coming out of LSU. The ceiling is higher for Coleman, but there's plenty more work that needs to be done for the former Tennessee-Chattanooga quarterback to reach Flynn's readiness as a backup quarterback.

There's also Hill, a former Arena Football League quarterback the Packers signed after the 2011 season. Experience is a positive for Hill, but his arm is sub-par and he could struggle running the Packers offense as it currently operates. There's also a fairly substantial transition between the AFL and NFL games.

There's no easy fix for this potential problem.

I wouldn't endorse the Packers bringing in a veteran quarterback, if only because their success in grooming young quarterbacks has been proven. The team's best move long-term would certainly be keeping Coleman and then picking between Harrell and Hill as the roster's third quarterback.

But the team's best move doesn't come without obvious risks. Any kind of injury to Aaron Rodgers in 2012 is a hundred times the loss that it was in 2011, when the Packers could turn to Flynn and feel pretty comfortable about their chances.

Turning to Coleman, Harrell or Hill if the worst case scenario occurs next season doesn't inspire the same kind of confidence. Keeping Rodgers healthy in 2012 is a much bigger priority given the current status of the Packers' backup quarterback situation.

Long-term, the Packers do not have a huge problem on their hands at quarterback. But for the 2012 season alone, the question marks surrounding Rodgers' backups are enough to give pause about the position.

According to the team website, the Packers will hold a camp in Chippewa Falls (June 11-12), Milwaukee (June 14-15), Green Bay (June 16-17) and Stevens Point (June 18-19).

Further details:

Camps are open to all players entering grades 9-12 for the 2012-13 school year, and will focus on character development and specific football-skills training by position. Participants will develop awareness of some of the necessary skills needed to become a successful collegiate student-athlete.  All participants are required to bring both their helmet and shoulder pads.

The camps are being put on as part of the NFL's High School Player Development program. More details can be found on the Packers website or at the above link.

***PACKERS microblog***

Packers first-round pick Nick Perry's deal is four years for $7.5M with $3.9M signing bonus.First 3 yrs guaranteed, 4th is not.

— Andrew Brandt (@adbrandt) May 16, 2012

Green Bay selected Perry with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft. In comparison, Saints running back Mark Ingram—the 2011 draft's 28th overall pick—got four years and $7.417 million with a $3.894 million signing bonus from New Orleans last year.

The Packers are expecting Perry to assume the role of linebacker opposite Clay Matthews in Dom Capers' 3-4 scheme. A defensive end at USC, Perry will need to make the adjustment to rushing the passer standing up and dropping into coverage.

News of Perry's deal broke last Friday afternoon before the Packers began their three-day rookie minicamp, which Perry participated in.

This comes on the tail of Nelson playfully competing with a girl from Omro High School on Tuesday.

As is the case with almost every Tailgate Tour stop, the Packers also delivered a serious message, talking to the students about bullying.

***PACKERS microblog***

On today's episode, we talk about Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, Charlie Peprah and this week's Tailgate Tour around the state of Wisconsin. Listen in...

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Brian Carriveau is a writer for Cheesehead TV. To contact Brian, email carriveau@uwalumni.com.

First, WBAY in Green Bay talks to students who have benefitted from Driver's Foundation through scholarships...

Then, WBAY interviewed several current and former Packers about Driver's participation on the hit TV show...

Finally, WISN in Milwaukee got Driver's reaction to qualifying for next week's finals.

All participants will receive a Packers 5K Run T-shirt, a logoed bag, and a bib number and timing chip. In addition, photos will be taken on the course and will be available at no cost on the Packers 5K Run website.

Packers-themed awards will be presented to the top three finishers in each age group. An awards ceremony will take place inside the Tundra Tailgate Zone following the conclusion of the race.

Registration, which is $25 for adults and $15 for children (12 and younger), will be available online beginning Wednesday, May 16, at Packers.com/5k. Mail-in registration is also an option, with forms available online and in person at Lambeau Field. Interested runners and walkers are encouraged to register early. After July 13, registration fees will increase to $30 and $20, respectively.

The Packers are partnering with local charities to raise money with the event. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the American Red Cross, Volunteer Center of Green Bay, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and NEW Community Clinic.

The race will be computer-timed and will begin at 6:30 p.m.

More information comes form the Manitowoc Herard Times Reporter.

***PACKERS microblog***

More on Donald Driver appears at Fox Sports Wisconsin.

Teammate Jordy Nelson spoke to the media on Tuesday lending his support for Donald Driver hoping he remains with the team for the 2012 season. Nelson made mention of the need for a veteran presence on the team and gave specific examples of two veterans that were released earlier this offseason. “I think he’s important,” Nelson said of Driver to Wes Hodkiewicz of PackersNews.com. “He’s fun to be around. You build those relationships and you don’t want them to end. We’ve already experienced two of them this year with Chad (Clifton) and Nick (Collins), and I think it would be tough to take a third.” It's been speculated that the Packers may cut Driver to make room for younger receivers on the roster such as Tori Gurley and Diondre Borel.

More on Jordy Nelson's comments appear at ESPNWisconsin.com, the Door County Advocate and the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Former Packers linebacker George Koonce appeared in the media on Tuesday when he publicized the contents of his recent doctoral thesis as he attends Marquette University. "Through my personal experience and the experiences of those whom I have interviewed for this study, I conclude that playing in the NFL is detrimental to one's life and well-being, especially for the players who are engulfed in the role of a professional athlete," Koonce is quoted as writing by Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com. The findings by Koonce are of particular interest because of the timing of his thesis, which has coincided with scrutiny on concussions of NFL players and its effects. The suicide of linebacker Junior Seau had a profound effect on Koonce. More from George Koonce appears at ESPN.com.

Recent progress on the new video boards being installed at Lambeau Field received attention on Tuesday. "Construction crews this week began installing video panels on the north end zone board and have about three weeks of work remaining," writes Richard Ryman of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "Work on the south end zone board will follow. Both are scheduled to be operational for the Green Bay Packers shareholders’ meeting on July 24." The new video boards will be the highlight of changes at the stadium in store for the 2012 season. The new south end zone seating won't be completed until 2013.

More on the new video boards at Lambeau Field appears at the Packers official website.

Safety Charlie Peprah told the media on Tuesday how he views himself as a starter at safety despite speculation Charles Woodson could move to the position or a rookie could take over. “As far as I’m concerned, I plan on it just because that’s the way I view myself and my abilities,” Peprah is quoted as saying by Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com. Peprah spoke to the media as part of his role on this year's Packers Tailgate Tour, which began on Tuesday.

More on Charlie Peprah appears at PackersNews.com and Packer Report.

More about the Tailgate Tour departing from Green Bay appears at ESPNWisconsin.com and Packer Report.

The first stop on the annual Tour was at Omro High School. An account of the event comes from the Oshkosh Northwestern.

Current and former Packers players also visited the Tomah VA Medical Center during the first day of tour activities.

The culminating event on Tuesday was a stop in La Crosse where TV station WXOX interviewed Charlie Peprah.

The Packers announced their annual Family Night scrimmage will be held on Friday Aug. 3. Details come from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Packer Report, ESPNWisconsin.com, Press-Gazette and Fox Sports Wisconsin.

New center Jeff Saturday is featured in an article by Jason Wilde at ESPNWisconsin.com.

Head coach Mike McCarthy's offseason program is highlighted in an article by Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel.

First-round draft choice Nick Perry is featured in an article at Fox Sports Wisconsin.

The agent of new undrafted free agent signing Shea Allard, an offensive lineman from Delaware, spoke to South Coast Today.

Only a few spots remain at Clay Matthews' youth football camp.

Some award predictions are made by Andrew Garda at Bleacher Report.

Video: Fox 11 in Green Bay has more on the Packers Tailgate Tour...

Brian Carriveau is a writer for Cheesehead TV. To contact Brian, email carriveau@uwalumni.com.

The event will be held at the Alliant Energy Center from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale only through TicketWeb.com, TicketMaster, or by calling 866-777-8932.

Like all the rest of the tour stops, tailgate party tickets cost $30 and will feature food, giveaways, question-and-answer sessions and autographs. Proceeds will benefit the Ronald McDonald House for the Madison event. General admission tickets will cost $5.

There will be other previously unpublicized stops along the way from La Crosse to Madison.

Also on Wednesday, the NFL players union's grievance against the NFL will be heard by an arbitrator regarding the suspensions to players in the New Orleans Saints bounty program.

This has an effect on Packers defensive lineman Tony Hargrove who was a member of the Saints in 2009 and 2010 and was initially suspended for or the first eight regular season games of the 2012 season.

Hat tip: Packer Report

***PACKERS microblog***

Jolly was in prison on a six-year sentence after multiple arrests relating to his addiction to the drug codeine.

According to KTRK, shock probation "allows for certain convicts to be released early on probation after experiencing the shock or trauma of being in jail." Only first-time offenders are eligible.

Now, instead of serving the rest of his six-year sentence, Jolly will be on probation for 10 years and also serve 200 hours of community service.

Jolly contended that he was not a threat to society but needed help outside of prison for his addiction to codeine.

"Once you get addicted to it, you're in the mindset where you don't think you going to get caught. or you don't feel like you're going to get in trouble," said Jolly. "And that's just the drug talking to you."

But that's the case in a tweet from Pawn America, a pawn retailer with locations across the Midwest, including one near Green Bay in Appleton, Wis. where the supposed ring is located...

This is probably our coolest piece @ #Pawn America Appleton! An authenticated 2010 Green Bay #Packers Super Bowl Ring! twitter.com/PawnAmerica/st…

— Pawn America (@PawnAmerica) May 15, 2012

At the moment, all the information that's available about the ring is this solitary social media message––at least that we're aware of. The retailer claims its authenticity, but does not name who the ring belonged to.

UPDATE: Following the lead initiated by social media, reporter Maureen Wallenfang of the Appleton Post-Crescent dug up more information on the item, which is not a player's ring.

According to the report, the ring has the name "Pace" on the side and the certification paperwork lists the seller as Sarah Pace who is listed as "Atrium Operations Lead" in the front office for the Packers.

The article also indicates that the ring was sold outright, not pawned.

"Interested buyers should be prepared to shell out $9,999, plus 5 percent tax," writes Wallenfang.

This year, the first stop was at Omro High School in Wisconsin. Information about the visit is included on the team's official website, such as how former Packers fullback William Henderson talked to students about bullying and wide receiver Jordy Nelson was challenged to a race.

*PACKERS microblog***

According to Aaron Wilson of Scout.com, Worthy will make just under $4 million over his four-year deal.

Packers second-round DT Jerel Worthy's four-year deal is worth $3.948 million and includes a signing bonus of $1.311 million, per a source

— Aaron Wilson (@RavensInsider) May 15, 2012

The Packers aggressively moved up to No. 51 overall in last month's draft to take Worthy. He is expected to help add the kind of pass rush that was missing from Dom Capers' defense last season after Cullen Jenkins left in free agency.

Jolly applied for "shock probation," which—as KTRK frames it—"allows for certain convicts to be released early on probation after experiencing the shock or trauma of being in jail."

Jolly is currently serving a six-year sentence for four past offenses with the drug known as codeine.

According to Jolly, he is not a threat to society but needs help to kick his addiction to the drug.

"Once you get addicted to it, you're in the mindset where you don't think you going to get caught. or you don't feel like you're going to get in trouble," said Jolly. "And that's just the drug talking to you."

A former sixth-round pick of the Packers in 2006, Jolly was suspended indefinitely by the NFL after his repeated run-ins with the law over the drug. He missed all of the 2010 season but was looking into reinstatement when his final arrest landed him with his current jail sentence.

Jolly started all 32 games for the Packers from 2008 to '09.

Yet even if Jolly was released from prison on the "shock probation" claim, it's a near certainty that his days of playing in the NFL are over. The 29-year-old has been out of the game for two straight years and would come with obvious off-field baggage.

Considering all of the moves the Packers have made on the defensive line—coupled with the suspension issues already handed down to both Mike Neal and Tony Hargrove—a reunion in Green Bay seems like the most unlikely of scenarios.

Wide receiver Jordy Nelson talked to Jim Polzin of the Wisconsin State Journal about this week's Tailgate Tour, the annual goodwill trip around the state in which several Packers players and personalities connect with fans. "When we get outside of Green Bay and do the Tailgate Tour, you really see the support," Nelson is quoted as saying. "They don’t get to see us on a day-to-day basis like people in the Green Bay area do, just walking around in stores or restaurants and stuff. I think it’s a lot of fun to go to those places because you really see their excitement. For some of them, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet a Packer or get an autograph." The first stop on the tour is this evening in La Crosse. Nelson will be joined by fellow Packers players Mason Crosby and Charlie Peprah on the tour.

Undrafted free agent tight end Cameron Ford is interviewed for an article in his hometown newspaper, The Greenville News, about signing with the Packers. “I was expecting to be a free agent," explained Ford, "so I was excited when they called and said, ‘Cameron, you’re now a Green Bay Packer.’ That was really cool.” Ford faces long odds at a position where the Packers kept five players on their 53-man roster last year, but he'll be given a chance win a job. He characterized his blocking as a strength.

Fellow undrafted free agent Marc Tyler, a running back from Southern Cal is profiled in a feature at the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Reporter Scott Venci got into the reasons why Tyler chose to sign with the Packers when he had the choice among several teams. "The Packers made the most sense for several reasons,"  writes Venci. "Tyler’s agent, Sean Howard, was a player personnel executive for the Packers and recommended them." Tyler has a chance to win a job if he can show more than Brandon Saine and Alex Green, although that won't be an easy task.

Second-round draft choice Jerel Worthy told Fox Sports Wisconsin about a friend who had a vision he'd become a Green Bay Packer. "He's a huge Packers fan," Worthy is quoted as saying. "He said, 'I have a vision that you're going to be a Green Bay Packer.' Back then, you don't believe it. But when it came true, man, I was just so excited."

With Monday night's episode of Dancing With the Stars behind him, Donald Driver is potentially one week away from competing in the finals. "As the Packers wide receiver has done all season on 'Dancing With the Stars,' he got awfully close to crossing the goal line — including the lofty one set by impossible judge Len Goodman — on Monday’s semifinals but again came up just short of a ballroom touchdown," writes Kendra Meinert of the Press-Gazette. "He and partner Peta Murgatroyd are in third place with a 57 out of 60 heading into tonight’s elimination, which will narrow the field to the final three for next week’s finale."

More on Donald Driver's performance can be found at the Packers official website.

Journal Sentinel columnist Michael Hunt says it's difficult to see Donald Driver playing for the Packers this season.

The Packers signed five tryout players on Monday. More on them appears at Packer Report, the Press-Gazette, ESPNWisconsin.com, JSOnline and the Associated Press.

An article on the competition for a backup quarterback spot between B.J. Coleman and Nick Hill appears at the Packers official website.

Former Packer Matt Flynn will battle with Russell Wilson for the starting quarterback job in Seattle, as Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin notes.

Packer Report has articles on Ty Detmer being named to the College Football Hall of Fame, former Packer Erik Affholter, and the Packers wide receivers.

Video: Donald Driver does the Waltz Monday night on Dancing With the Stars...

Brian Carriveau is a writer for Cheesehead TV. To contact Brian, email carriveau@uwalumni.com.

Drew Smith of Fox 11 Sports (WLUK-TV) confirmed his station will be covering the event live.

#Packers Family night will be Friday, August 3rd starting at 6:30 on @fox11sports! Tickets are $10, go on sale June 25. #Cantwait!

— Drew Smith (@DrewSmithSports) May 15, 2012

The event will begin at 5:30 p.m., but actual on-field activities for the players won't start until 6:30. The scrimmage between the Packers' offense and defense starts at roughly 7:30.

For more information on the event, head over to Packers.com.