People in Minnesota might think Wisconsin is 50 years behind the rest of the world, but the Green Bay Packers have begun using modern technology to mimic opposing quarterbacks, including NFC North rival Kirk Cousins.
Known as the “Seeker,” the machine is basically a souped-up JUGS machine with high-end technology that allows it to perform like a robot quarterback/punter/kicker.
It was created by a group of wiz kids in Iowa and is now being found on football fields at the highest levels, with Green Bay believed to be one of the first, if not the first, NFL team to give it a try.
According to the company that makes it, Monarch Sport, the machine is coupled with a touchscreen and joystick that allows users – even if you’re practicing by yourself – to “send the ball exactly where you want it and how you want it, every time.”
There’s a built-in tracking system that studies a receiver’s movements 30 times per second, and then uses that information to provide “human-like reps.” What’s more is that the Packers can study an opposing quarterback’s tendencies and set the machine to mimic them.
For example, a safety or cornerback preparing to face Cousins and the Vikings.
“He can watch film on Kirk Cousins and say, when Kirk throws a 30-yard corner ball he has it out in 44 mph in 3.1 seconds. Then he can go back in the safety spot with [a sensor] on his hip … and now that ball is out to him in exact Kirk Cousins settings,” a spokesperson at Packers training camp said Monday. “Turns pass break-ups into picks, essentially prepares you for whatever quarterback you’re going to play.”
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky posted video of the demonstration from Packer camp.
The Packers are the first NFL team to try out the “Seeker” from @MonarcSport
It’s like a JUGS machine on steroids. pic.twitter.com/KxPXz1rdFM
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) August 15, 2022
Not only can it give defenders a more realistic example of what passes from Cousins will look like, but it cuts down on the wear and tear of Aaron Rodgers’ 38-year-old arm.
“You can keep 10,000 throws a month off Aaron’s arm while getting them to each pass catcher,” the guy at Packers camp said. “If Sammy Watkins wants to catch a 70-yard over-the-shoulder ball to the right, all he’s gotta do is click this little tag, with no delay, and he can now track over-the-shoulder.”
LSU and SMU adopted it for their college football teams in 2019. You can read a 2019 feature piece about the machine in this story from The Athletic.
