Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Jordan Love solidified his future in Wisconsin with an ascending first-year season, and the Green Bay Packers rewarded their 2020 first-rounder by making him the league’s highest-paid player. However, after extending their starting quarterback, the Packers needed to find a quality backup.
Although the Packers took Sean Clifford in the fifth round of the 2023 draft, they also added rookie Michael Pratt in the seventh round this year, leading to a good old-fashioned quarterback battle this offseason.
Clifford didn’t play well. He was a turnover machine in practice and often looked rough in the preseason. Pratt showed some nice things but still has a ways to go before looking like a reliable backup quarterback. Ultimately, the QB2 battle was concerning and left fans wanting another option.
Former Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill was a popular veteran option among fans, but the Packers chose to acquire a different Titan. Before final cuts, Brian Gutekunst traded for Malik Willis on Monday in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round pick. Does the 2022 third-rounder offer a massive upgrade as Love’s backup?
Clifford was the original favorite for the QB2 job, and he bounced back against the Baltimore Ravens after a terrifying performance against the Denver Broncos. In the preseason finale, he finished his day 6/14 for 53 yards and a touchdown, earning a 77.4 QB rating. Conversely, Clifford finished 6/10 for 43 yards and one interception (30.4 passer rating) against Denver. Clifford split series with Pratt early on against the Baltimore Ravens, going for two drives and swapping, a sign that the Packers wanted to see more from Pratt early in the preseason.
Pratt had a slightly better day, going 8/12 for 80 yards and a TD, with one interception, finishing the day with a 78.5 rating.
While the QBs had a better day against the Ravens, neither solidified a grasp on the backup role.
It was fair to wonder if the Packers might keep only Love on the initial 53-man roster and look for a new backup option while trying to retain Clifford and Pratt on the practice squad.
However, it appears they found their guy in Willis. Gutekunst loves his late-round picks, and the Packers are often loathe to use those on veterans, meaning Willis will have the job.
The former Auburn and Liberty quarterback finished his preseason completing 20 of his 27 passes for 205 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception while running the ball 11 times for 101 yards. Willis led the Titans in rushing yards this preseason.
Those numbers feel better than Clifford and Pratt’s preseason numbers, but what does Willis’ overall body of work look like?
Willis started three games in relief of an injured Ryan Tannehill in 2022. In his two seasons in Tennessee, he completed 35 of 66 passes for 350 yards and three interceptions, with zero touchdowns. Unfortunately, those numbers aren’t so good.
However, Willis improved from 2022 to 2023 and looked solid in the preseason. He may still grow as a passer, and it’s worth noting that he brings much more as a runner than Clifford or Pratt. As a rusher, he has 144 career yards and one TD. Willis can bring that element of his game to the scout team, allowing the Packers to better prepare for the many dual-threat quarterbacks they’ll face this season.
Playing for the Titans means Willis has some familiarity with Matt LaFleur’s system. Arthur Smith coached under LaFleur when the latter was the offensive coordinator in Tennessee. It shouldn’t be too difficult for Willis to catch up on the offense despite being a new arrival.
Willis was the third quarterback selected in the 2022 class, giving him a high draft pedigree despite that class’ lack of proven depth under center. The two quarterbacks picked ahead of him, Kenny Pickett and Desmond Ridder, are no longer with the teams that drafted them. Willis may have some untapped potential LaFleur can tap into, turning him into a long-term quality backup option.
Gutekunst must have been a fan of Willis during the draft process. Despite his poor regular-season numbers, he likes his potential over Clifford’s and Pratt’s.
With final cuts coming, many fans fear another team will scoop up their favorite players and keep them from making the practice squad, as happened with Taysom Hill all those years ago. However, it seems unlikely. Assuming the Packers don’t keep three quarterbacks on the initial roster, Clifford and Pratt will likely return to Green Bay’s practice squad. There, they’ll have a chance to develop further.
Gutekunst was adamant he wanted to start drafting and developing quarterbacks again, so it wasn’t surprising to see Pratt drafted this year. But if Love were to miss time, the Packers need something more to win games. Willis’ time in the spotlight hasn’t been amazing, but it’s a small body of work. A strong preseason means he looks like a clear upgrade from what the Packers had in-house.
