The Green Bay Packers signed QB Kurt Benkert to the practice squad on Sept. 1, 2021.
Signed by Green Bay on May 15, 2021…Spent the entire 2020 season on the Atlanta Falcons' practice squad…Spent the entire 2019 season with the Falcons on injured reserve (toe) after getting injured in the first preseason game…Originally signed with Atlanta as an undrafted free agent on May 3, 2018…Released by the Falcons on Sept. 1, 2018…Signed to Atlanta's practice squad on Sept. 2, 2018, where he remained for the entire 2018 season…Played two seasons (2016-17) at Virginia, appearing in 24 games with 23 starts, after two seasons (2014-15) at East Carolina, where he played in three games…Finished his collegiate career with 5,817 yards and 46 touchdowns on 534-of-925 passing (57.7 pct.) with 21 interceptions…Scored two rushing TDs…Holds UVA career records for completions per game (21.9) and passing TDs per game (1.92), and ranks No. 4 in school history with 5,759 career passing yards and 46 career passing TDs…Started all 13 games as a senior at Virginia in 2017, completing 298 of 509 passes (58.5 pct.) for 3,207 yards and 25 TDs with nine INTs…His 2017 season holds multiple places in Virginia's single-season record book, including No. 1 in attempts, No. 2 in completions (Bryce Perkins, 2019) and passing yards (Perkins, 2019) and No. 3 with 3,144 yards of total offense (Perkins, 2018-19)…Became the first player in school history to throw for 3,000 yards in a season…Surpassed 2,000 passing yards in only eight games, tying himself (2016) and Matt Schaub (2003) as the fastest Cavaliers to reach the mark in a single season…Finished with 455 yards and three TDs on 30-of-40 passing (75.0 pct.) vs. Connecticut (Sept. 16), breaking his own single-game passing yardage record (vs. Central Michigan, 2016) and setting a new UVA record with 465 yards of total offense…Named the Atlantic Coast Conference Offensive Back of the Week after throwing for 273 yards and three TDs on 19-of-29 passing (65.5 pct.) at Boise State (Sept. 22)…Was 28 of 37 (75.7 pct.) for 384 yards and a season-high four TDs at Miami (Nov. 18)…Started 10 of the 11 games he appeared in as a junior at Virginia in 2016, missing one game with injury…Finished the season 228 of 406 (56.2 pct.) for 2,552 yards and 21 TDs with 11 INTs…Started in his Virginia debut vs. Richmond (Sept. 3), throwing for 264 yards and three TDs on 26-of-34 passing (76.5 pct.) with one INT…Set a school record with 421 passing yards on 27-of-43 passing (62.8 pct.) vs. Central Michigan (Sept. 24), while his five passing TDs tied four other players for No. 2 on the school's single-game list…Finished 25 of 39 (64.1 pct.) for 238 yards and three TDs with two INTs vs. No. 5 Louisville…Was tabbed as Eastern Carolina's starting QB entering the 2015 season before a knee injury suffered in fall camp caused him to miss his entire sophomore campaign…Appeared in three games as a redshirt freshman for the Pirates in 2014, completing 8 of 10 passes (80.0 pct.) for 58 yards with an INT…Made his collegiate debut with Eastern Carolina holding a big lead in the season opener vs. North Carolina Central (Aug. 30), completing 6-of-8 passes (75.0 pct.) for 50 yards with an INT to go along with two carries for 13 yards (6.5 avg.)…His 9-yard rushing TD vs. North Carolina Central marked the first score of his career…Saw game action in the fourth quarter vs. No. 25 North Carolina (Sept. 20), completing both of his two passing attempts for 8 yards while rushing once for a 4-yard TD…Made a brief appearance vs. Florida in the Birmingham Bowl (Jan. 3), carrying twice for 6 yards (3.0 avg.)…Earned a bachelor's degree in finance from East Carolina and a master's degree in athletic administration from Virginia…Received third-team 6A all-state honors from The Associated Press and first-team all-area recognition from the Fort Meyers News-Press as a senior at Island Coast High School (Cape Coral, Fla.) in 2012…Completed 147 of 236 passes (62.3 pct.) for 20 TDs and four INTs to help the Gators to an 8-3 overall record and a berth in the Florida High School Athletic Association 6A playoffs…Played his junior season at Cape Coral (Fla.) High School in 2011, completing 189 of 367 passes for 2,771 yards, 25 TDs and seven INTs while rushing for 150 yards and three TDs on 55 carries (2.7 avg.)…Also served as the team's punter, earning first-team all-area honors from the News-Press after averaging 37.7 yards per kick with a long of 56 yards and 11 punts downed inside the 20-yard line…Signed with Ghost Gaming in February 2021, an Atlanta-based Esports organization, and is sponsored by brands such as G Fuel, Thursday Boot Company and Razer…Has helped raise nearly $100,000 for organizations such as the Cape Coral Animal Shelter and Atlanta Community Food Bank by participating in charity gaming tournaments, such as the NFLPA's Fortnite Open and the Twitch Rivals Streamer Bowl…Married, wife's name is Samantha…The couple has a daughter, Scout…Given name Kurt John Benkert; born in Baltimore, Md.
