The Packers appear to have their new backup quarterback. In exchange for a 2025 seventh-round pick, Green Bay is acquiring Malik Willis from the Tennessee Titans, a source briefed on the trade said Monday.
The deal comes after Sean Clifford, Jordan Love’s backup in 2023, had an underwhelming camp. The 2023 fifth-round pick out of Penn State was unable to separate himself from rookie seventh-round pick Michael Pratt, who didn’t stand out either but might have more upside and can develop on the practice squad this season if the Packers take only Love and Willis on their initial 53-man roster.
While Willis will probably be the Packers’ backup quarterback for the majority of this season, can he be ready to play Week 1 in less than two weeks?
Perhaps the Packers keep Clifford or Pratt on the 53 to ensure they have a backup who knows the offense better than Willis against the Eagles in Brazil. If they’re confident both will clear waivers, maybe they release both and bring them back on the practice squad before elevating Clifford for game day Week 1 since he knows the offense better and then releasing him while continuing to develop Pratt on the practice squad. Bottom line, the Packers could go a number of different ways with their backup quarterback(s).
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Willis, a 2022 third-round pick, completed 35 of 66 passes in his career for 350 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions while running 32 times for 144 yards and a touchdown.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Saturday after the preseason finale regarding the backup quarterback competition, “There were some really good moments and then there were some things we absolutely have to do better, and then we’ll evaluate everything that’s out there for us.”
In the end, the Packers evaluated what else was out there and determined it was better than what they had.
Malik Willis improved but was a whiff by prior Titans’ regime
Some had Willis as QB1 in the quarterback-deficient 2022 draft, which means some had the Titans scoring a bargain with the 86th pick in the third round. But that decision by former GM Jon Robinson, months after the Titans were the No. 1 seed in the AFC and blew it with a home playoff loss to Cincinnati, was a bad one.
The Titans should have been adding quality players to help Ryan Tannehill, even though he threw three picks against the Bengals. Instead, this was an empty pick — as the Titans quickly discovered, leading to the drafting of Will Levis a year later. — Joe Rexrode, Titans senior writer
Tennessee has upgraded at QB2 with Mason Rudolph
The Titans have their best QB2 situation in five years — when Tannehill came in a trade with Miami and eventually unseated Marcus Mariota — thanks to the signing of Mason Rudolph. He has been excellent in camp and preseason games, disposing of the idea that he and Willis were competing to be the backup, though Titans coaches framed it that way.
Unlike five years ago, however, Rudolph is no threat to the starter. Finding out what Levis can do is the top priority of this season for the franchise. — Rexrode
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(Photo: Johnnie Izquierdo / Getty Images)
