This season couldn’t have gone much worse for Matt Flynn – cut from the Oakland Raiders, released from the Buffalo Bills. Now? Signed once more by the Green Bay Packers, the team he earned his previous big contract through, facing its own set of troubles at the quarterback position.

Losing Aaron Rodgers to injury, the Packers have now lost two consecutive games and are at risk of missing out on the playoffs, falling to 5-4. Even their backup quarterback, Seneca Wallace, is now injured, forcing Mike McCarthy to use Scott Tolzien, their third string quarterback, in the loss to the Eagles.

Flynn was called up to work out for the Packers and made enough of an impression to be signed, although he’ll probably remain as a backup behind Tolzien. McCarthy announced him to be his starter for the Packers’ next game against the New York Giants.

Tolzien finally getting his first shot at doing something in the NFL after three years of playing backup or being on the practice squad for three different teams is a story worth telling, but Flynn’s journey for the last couple of years seems to be something that happens once in a very long time,returning to the team he played his career-game for in a very different state of mind and confidence level than when he left.

The Packers didn’t need to start Rodgers anymore at the end of the 2011 regular season, giving Flynn the chance to show his abilities in the final two weeks. He ended the season with a six touchdown, 480 yards performance. That production in one game was enough for the Seattle Seahawks to give him a three-year, $20.5 million deal, including $9 million guaranteed. Flynn lost to Russell Wilson in training camp before the 2012 season, and things have only gotten worse since.

He was traded to the Oakland Raiders for two draft picks, but once again preseason proved to be a killer for his starting hopes. Terrelle Pryor won that job, and Flynn was a backup once more, an expensive one at that. He started in the loss to the Washington Redskins as Flynn was dealing with a concussion, but he was sacked 7 times, and the Raiders shortly after released him. The Buffalo Bills picked him up due to their own injury problems, but was released once Thad Lewis and EJ Manuel recovered from their injuries.

Now? An emergency backup once again for the team his career began with, only his return is a lot less impressive than his exit.

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