There was one collective notion amongst Green Bay Packers this past March when former backup QB Malik Willis signed with the Miami Dolphins, "Well, there goes our best backup QB since Matt Flynn." For a franchise that's only had three different week 1 quarterbacks in the last 32 years, the only real QB controversy in Green Bay outside of the seasons when Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers were traded was "who will back up the franchise QB?" The nightmare scenario of QB1 going down for an extended period has been fairly rare for the Packers over this period, but as of late, it's not uncommon. And outside of Matt Flynn, Malik Willis, and Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love themselves during their respective time as QB2, that backup slot hasn't been the most reliable. 

Packer fans all knew from the start of the 2025 season that Malik Willis likely wouldn't be back in 2026. There was just no way with the success he'd had in relief of Jordan Love that a team in need of a new QB direction wouldn't pay him to start. Just before the season ended, the Packers signed Desmond Ridder, a fourth-year QB, to the practice squad and before their playoff game vs the Bears, elevated Ridder to the active roster. There was a notion that Ridder might compete for the QB2 position in 2026 and that he could be the next Packers' QB talent reclamation project. Ridder wasn't thought of as a reliable backup, but he had just enough talent to be intriguing in Matt LaFleur's offense if things clicked.

Well, we'll never know what could've been with Desmond Ridder, for on Monday, the Packers released Ridder after signing 16-year veteran Tyrod Taylor. Taylor, a bit of a journeyman quarterback, has played for seven different NFL franchises, with Green Bay being his eighth. He's started games for six of those teams, having a total of 62 starts throughout his NFL career. Taylor, originally a 6th-round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2011, signed with the Buffalo Bills in 2015 and beat out Matt Cassel and former 1st-round pick, E.J. Manuel, for the starting job. Taylor didn't look back from that and was Buffalo's starter for the next three seasons. After being traded to the Browns in 2018, Taylor would go on to play the QB2 role the next eight seasons for Cleveland, LA Chargers, Houston, New York Giants, and New York Jets, starting 19 games in that span. 

Taylor has always been a bit of a dual-threat QB, rushing for 1,575 yards during his starting tenure in Buffalo. But he has also been a good passer, eclipsing 3,000 yards in two of his starting seasons in Buffalo, and he has also taken fairly good care of the football, not being prone to many interceptions throughout his career. 

While there are no delusions that the Packers just signed 2015 Tyrod Taylor, Taylor does provide an immediate upgrade at the backup QB position. 

The most seasoned QB2 in over a decade

The Packers' philosophy behind their franchise QB over the last 30 years has often been to have a young and talented developmental QB. It's been very rare that they've had a backup quarterback with more starts than you can count on one hand in the last few decades. Probably the most seasoned backup the Packers have had in 20 years would be Seneca Wallace, who started 21 games before his time with the Packers. 

Though Tyrod Taylor isn't quite as mobile as he may have been ten years ago and won't be replacing Malik Willis in that category, he still provides a dual-threat ability that fits well in LaFleur's scheme. The Packers are in win-now mode. The last thing they want, if God-forbid Jordan Love goes down, is a QB2 that they have to change the scheme around. Taylor provides them with the insurance they need so that they can put him in the game with minimal adjustment. Most contenders need that luxury, where, sure, it's bad when QB1 goes down, but QB2 may still provide them with enough stability to pull off a win. 

Also, a bonus, since Taylor's signing comes after the draft, it won't count against the number of compensatory picks Green Bay will receive next year. So, the absurd amount of 2027 draft picks remains untouched. 

Tyrod Taylor has always been a low-turnover, steady presence behind center, which matches Jordan Love's style a bit. While the signing is a bit of a head-scratcher to some, it keeps the QB2 stability intact. Granted, Jordan Love sat behind one of the best QBs to ever play the game for the first years of his career, Taylor may still provide an experienced voice in the QB room for Love to learn from. You can never have too much knowledge in the most important position in football.