Packers Depth Chart: Will Green Bay Find A New QB If Jordan Love Is Out?

There are high expectations surrounding the Green Bay Packers for the 2024 NFL season, but things got off to a tough start for them during the Opening Week. Not only did they drop their first game to start out 0-1, but quarterback Jordan Love suffered a leg injury late in the game that has hit status for the immediate future in question.

Packers Hopeful That Love Won’t Miss Extended Time

There is plenty of reason to believe that Love will miss extended time, as the recovery process for a sprained MCL typically lasts 3–6 weeks. But Packers head coach Matt LeFleur has yet to rule Love out for Week 2’s home game against the Colts.

“If Jordan’s not clear, then we’ll start Malik,” LaFleur said on Monday. “And Sean [Clifford] will be the backup.”

But is Malik Willis really the next-best option for a team with playoff and even Super Bowl aspirations? Selected by the Tennessee Titans in the 3rd round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Willis started three games in his first two seasons in the league. In those starts, he attempted 49 total passes but completed fewer than 50% of them, and had three interceptions to go along with zero touchdowns.

The Titans had seen enough. Just a couple of weeks ago, Willis was traded to the Packers in exchange for a 7th round draft pick, and he was slotted in as the backup behind Jordan Love.

Just ten days after arriving, Willis was thrust into action in the final second of the opening game against the Eagles during Week 1. He was tasked with throwing a Hail Mary to keep Green Bay’s hopes alive as the clock ran out, but he was sacked before he ever got a pass off.

Should Green Bay Look For Other QB Options?

Should the wildly unproven Malik Willis be the one that the Packers turn to in order to keep things afloat should Love miss extended time? Given LeFleur’s comments, it appears that they are ready to make him the guy. Last year’s backup was Sean Clifford, who is still on the roster as the third-stringer.

There are other options for the team to explore. The biggest name on the free agent market when it comes to quarterbacks is Ryan Tannehill, who has plenty of experience and is likely waiting for the right opportunity. But perhaps the Packers have hope that Love’s ailment will only cost him a game or two, and are hesitant to spend money on the best available QB if the stay is short.

The other option would be to explore a trade for one of the backups around the league, perhaps a Jameis Winston type. But Green Bay already made their trade for a backup when they acquired Willis, and it is unlikely that they’d get rid of two draft picks within the span of a month trying to find a viable substitute.

The Packers will take on the Colts this coming Sunday, which is followed by a matchup against Willis’ old team in the Titans for Week 3.