Cory's Corner: Willis Graduated With Honors From QBU
Willis has earned a big payday and trust to be an NFL starter.
We are now officially on Malik Willis watch.
The Packers backup quarterback played very well the last two seasons and so well, in fact, that should be a starting quarterback.
He completed 79 percent of his passes, with six touchdowns and no picks in three starts the last three years. He deserves a start.
The obvious team to go after him would be the Dolphins because former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is now the head coach in South Beach and the quarterback situation down there is in flux after former first round pick Tua Tagovailoa was benched for the final three games of 2025 due to poor play.
Other teams that could take a swing at Willis are the Jets, Browns and Cardinals. Maybe even the Vikings, who are still kicking themselves after letting Sam Darnold leave Minneapolis and he’s now on the cusp of winning his first Super Bowl ring with the Seahawks.
“He can make any throw on the planet,” said Packers coach Matt LaFleur. “I’d put him up against anybody. I just think that speaks to the type of competitor Malik Willis is. He’s as tough as anybody.”
The fact that the Packers had Willis as a backup was amazing in itself. Remember, the Packers traded a 2025 seventh round pick to Tennessee for Willis on Aug. 26, 2024. When that initially happened, many weren’t exactly sure what just happened. Willis was a third round pick in 2022 and he was the No. 3 quarterback behind Ryan Tannehill and Josh Dobbs. The game was obviously way too fast for him back then and coming to Green Bay was the best thing that ever happened to his career.
That’s easy to say now, but his confidence level the last two years has been great. What I’ve really enjoyed seeing is how well Willis extends plays. Defenses had to respect his legs because he ran for 261 yards in two years. He also racked up 15 first downs. Think about how much of an X-factor that is? Just when defenses are licking their chops at forcing a third-and-6, Willis then scrambles and gets to the sticks. And later in the drive, he does it again. That eventually takes the soul of a defense.
Willis turns 27 in May. I would rather have Willis at $20 million a year than rolling the dice on a rookie. The one thing the Raiders have been missing is consistency and that’s exactly what Willis brings. And they could also trade down and add more offensive line help to protect him.
The Packers proved that they can develop quarterbacks. Willis got his Quarterback Degree after two years studying in QBU. So could be the next Willis in Green Bay? The first guy that comes to mind is Trey Lance. Here’s a guy that was drafted third overall in 2021, but hasn’t gotten a lot of opportunities due to injury and circumstance. He is now the Chargers backup. Another name that stands out to me is Zach Wilson, who was the second overall pick in 2021. He was drafted into a bad situation. The Jets are the NFL's version of Siberia. Succeeding there is nearly impossible and like Willis, it looked like he was operating the offense way too quickly. He is now the backup in Miami.
Willis has earned every bit of praise that is coming his way. He can make all the throws and most importantly, his teammates trust him.
“I think he approaches every single day like he’s the starter,” said Packers wideout Christian Watson. “I think that’s kind of just his mentality and when he gets his opportunity, it definitely shows.”
During his time with the Packers, we not only saw great QB play out of Jordan Love, but a career revival of Malik Willis.
The Packers were also 31st in hitch routes compared to the eagles ranking 1st pic.twitter.com/bKW5lmVwtP
— That Hurts (@That_Hurts) January 30, 2026
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__________________________
Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on "Clubhouse Live" and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn
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Comments (72)
TKWorldWide
February 03, 2026 at 06:32 am
Happy for him.
Also happy for the sweet comp pick GB will receive.
Houndog
February 03, 2026 at 07:17 am
TKW,
I'm happy for Willis too, he's earned it, but somewhere in the background I can hear Brooks & Dunn singin'
"You better kiss me, cuz you're gonna' miss me when I'm gone"
EricTorkelson
February 03, 2026 at 07:40 am
" Just a dream" Houndog" Acquire two first round picks and a defensive lineman for .... ( J Love ) Keep Willis is it crazy ? I know the Packers don't riverboat gamble but its just a thought , just a dream ..
golfpacker61
February 03, 2026 at 08:43 am
I asked this same question in another article Eric, and also Andy Herman addressed it in his "Who to trade" article. We are buried in J Love's contract and because of dead money owed there is no feasible way to do this. It's a shame because the Packers seemed to have unlocked what the Titans drafted Willis for. Sometimes it is as simple as being with a good organization.
If Love's contract wasn't so bad for us, I wonder if this couldn't be a realistic scenario. And I think Jordan would draw alot of interest and the trade assets we got back would rearm us after the Parsons trade. Willis offers things Love can't do.
TKWorldWide
February 03, 2026 at 09:57 am
Or maybe in a year or two, GB could draft a QB in the 3rd and turn him into the next Willis.
EricTorkelson
February 03, 2026 at 07:03 am
He can make any throw on the planet " Ill put him up against anybody " MLF... I guess that means his starter also ?
"Hes as tough as anybody " MLF... I guess he doesn't fit with the Packers
Now after watching that video I'm starting to feal sick to my stomach ....
Houndog
February 03, 2026 at 07:38 am
Tork,
"I'll put him up against anybody"
I kinda' doubt that MLF was thinking of the future when he made that statement, and it might come back to bite him in the ass.
stockholder
February 03, 2026 at 07:34 am
Gute will let us know more Wednesday.
We think he should be a starter somewhere.
Translation-
Just not here.
Because I blew the money to sign him.
Will find another back-up.
Translation-
Because when Love gets hurt.
MLF gets fired for not making the play-offs.
Drafting Better Back-ups-
Translation-
Well that certainly is the case.
Addressing needs keeps the door revolving.
Free Agency -
Translation-
We certainly would like to keep several.
But The reality is.
Mr. Ball has to get the restraints off my back.
Roster bubbles-
Translation-
Trading Draft picks are always possibility.
The word Bust never enters in the solution.
Wishing Willis Luck-
Translation -
Forget the competition.
Rodgers didn't hurt us.
Coldworld
February 03, 2026 at 08:24 am
We had committed to Love. I’m not going to criticize Gute for then finding a back up who turned out to be the very rare type who turned out to have morphed into a credible starter. We are not going to be able to pay 2QBs of that caliber and we wouldn’t get 2 to sign to share a roster outside of freakish circumstances anyway.
Like it or not, Willis was a big win for the FO. We had 2 years with a QB we traded a 7th for who won games within 3 weeks of arriving on a cheap contract and now will almost certainly get us significantly more future draft capital. It’s beyond churlish to not celebrate capturing lightning in a bottle, which is what the Willis signing proved to be.
TKWorldWide
February 03, 2026 at 10:00 am
👍 for the word “churlish” alone. I believe it was Mr. Garvey who taught me that word. (I think it was right before he threatened to stick a pencil through my adam’s apple.)
jannesbjornson
February 03, 2026 at 08:40 am
He rolled loaded dice for his "urgency" quest in 2025. This was way before Parsons entered the picture. The snowball will turn into an avalanche while he's propped in place. Groundhog's Day was yesterday and Phil saw his shadow; four more years of Gute.
dobber
February 03, 2026 at 08:08 am
"The Packers proved that they can develop quarterbacks. Willis got his Quarterback Degree after two years studying in QBU. "
I give LaF credit for putting together a framework where Willis was successful when he played, but to give the Packers credit for "fixing" or "developing" Willis ignores the fact that he was in GB two weeks before he was asked to play--and he looked pretty damn good. As a backup, there's no way he was getting enough practice reps and attention in two weeks for the Packers to claim they fixed him. The only conclusion is that his trajectory was already aligned when he came to town...and the Packers should mine the benefit of a decent comp pick as a result.
Alex McGough and Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt are all wondering where this genius was dished out when they were on the roster. Hopefully there's a sprinkling of this fairy dust left for Desmond Ridder.
Coldworld
February 03, 2026 at 08:28 am
I give Mannion credit for working with Willis 24/7 when he first arrived. LaFleur credit for a game plan that gave him a chance to settle initially and play to his strengths. However, in 3 weeks we didn’t change Willis much. He had done that for himself, self-evidently, as you suggest.
Bitternotsour
February 03, 2026 at 09:49 am
The player deserves the credit, he wasn't remade as much as he was the correct puzzle piece. The front office wins for recognizing the opportunity to add him to the roster, and recognizing that the crew of back-ups were not NFL talents. LaFleur gets the final credit for game planning those skills into success. Willis didn't suddenly develop that arm talent or those wheels. Willis was a square peg in a round hole in Tennessee, and Green Bay built him the right system at the right time. Also too, Gutekunst fleeced the Titans.
barutanseijin
February 03, 2026 at 04:40 pm
Alex McGough and Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt?
QBU was never going to do much for them anyway.
PhantomII
February 03, 2026 at 08:50 pm
Yea....I don't think so....Malik Willis played BETTER than Jordan Love when given the chance and I wish he got a lot more than JL when he got hurt in the first game against the Eagles last season. Malik benefitted from a decent OL / WR and RB group as well as TE Kraft and his speed and shiftiness as a runner. ML did a lot better fitting his skill set in this season when he was needed. Malik has good touch on his throws and a strong arm for the deep ball.
I'm half wondering if we are keeping the QB who can take us to the NFCC game....and win. We need 2 stud DL and at least another stud DE/OLB to go with Parsons. If we get a good rush off the DL and or DE pressure it is sure to help out the secondary. The Offense needs a couple OL starters as far as I can see and a Vet TE to help out Kraft and fill in a bit before he is okayed to play. Back-up RB2 and Offense should be good enough. Best of luck Malik...go for who surrounds you with the best OL and playmakers so you can do your thing and you will do the rest....God speed....GPG
Packers0808
February 03, 2026 at 08:24 am
Most likely won't happen but hope Packers figure a way to keep him. Willis did say he would like to stay in GB.
Houndog
February 03, 2026 at 08:40 am
That's easy, 0808,
trade Love and keep Willis!
You get lots of draft capital, cap room, and you barely skip a beat, if any!
I've said it before to all kinds of 'Thumbs-downs", but it is what it is, so I'll say it again.
barutanseijin
February 03, 2026 at 04:49 pm
When someone is impervious to logic and information, what else is there to do but downvote?
LeotisHarris
February 03, 2026 at 08:39 am
Another one of those we like our guys, we can't keep everyone moments. How much cap space does Miami have?
Houndog
February 03, 2026 at 08:44 am
Leotis,
Miami doesn't have much cap space if I remember correctly, and they've got Tua that's their biggest problem, in both performance, and money!
TarynsEyes
February 03, 2026 at 08:54 am
We got Love and his performance and money.
Guam
February 03, 2026 at 08:45 am
They will have enough if they cut ties with Tua as expected by many media experts.
Houndog
February 03, 2026 at 09:06 am
Guam
I watched the Sullivan/Hafley introductory press conference and they both mentioned 'the roster and cap challenge' they were facing but gave no details.
It might have been one of those "Don't expect miracles the first year" kinda' warnings.
dobber
February 03, 2026 at 09:27 am
Cap impacts are relatively easily manipulated on the front end with roster and option bonus money in year 2.
This is what the Packers will need to do to bring in some vets this off-season.
Bitternotsour
February 03, 2026 at 09:50 am
The Dolphins have a capable GM. The owner just needs to get out of the way.
Guam
February 03, 2026 at 11:07 am
Houndog,
I'm aware cutting Tua would be a huge 2026 hit, but as Dobber mentioned above, a new contract can be structured to minimize the 2026 cap hit for Willis. They can probably get a deal done for Willis, but they can't keep both Tua and sign Willis.
And yes, the Dolphins don't have much wiggle room in 2026, with or without Tua.
Leatherhead
February 03, 2026 at 09:53 am
Tua is a $99M in dead cap hit. $99M.
TKWorldWide
February 03, 2026 at 10:02 am
Good lord, that is crippling!
LLCHESTY
February 03, 2026 at 10:36 am
Not really, if the Saints taught us anything it's that the cap is just numbers to be manipulated. They could still sign Willis if he was willing to take a big chunk of his bonus next year.
There were rumblings last year that Tua had a problem getting along with his teammates and he threw them under the bus at least once. My guess is they draft a QB in the 1st two rounds and use Tua as a bridge this year but if he's a locker room problem they might have to pay him to stay home.
dobber
February 03, 2026 at 11:11 am
"They could still sign Willis if he was willing to take a big chunk of his bonus next year."
I think that's exactly the kind of structure he's likely to be offered by just about every team that courts him. I think it very unlikely that anyone's going to offering him a contract that hangs teams on a lot of guaranteed money. They're going to want to be able to get out without a lot of cap woe if he turns out to be a flash or someone who can't sustain what he showed for GB over a full season.
TKWorldWide
February 03, 2026 at 11:20 am
$99m? When the whole team is $300m?
Coldworld
February 03, 2026 at 05:09 pm
They guaranteed $167 million last year. If he was released on a post June 1 designation, then his dead money to $67.4 million in 2026 and $31.8 million in 2027. That might just possibly be made to work. It’s also the context of a real excuse for Hafley to need time to turn the ship around.
Tua was benched last year for someone and had expressed a willingness to consider trades. If they could find a suitor (and Tua would almost certainly need to agree to renegotiate to do so), then they can apparently get away with about 45 million in dead money this year. Personally I don’t see that happening, but I can see them still not playing him potentially.
However, 3 players account for almost 140 million of that cap. Hill and Chubb are widely thought to be unlikely to return.
QB Tua Tagovailoa: $56.4 million
WR Tyreek Hill: $51.9 million
OLB Bradley Chubb: $31.2 million
However, even then they are probably cap poor and carrying record dead cap. The likelihood is it’s a clear out year for this roster. I think they bite the bullet, shed dead cap and try to move on next year and assemble a young roster (with Sullivan attempting to cobble draft picks and low cost redemption FAs to assemble it).
Could Willis fit into that? Yes, but it would need a greatly inflated signing bonus I suspect and, as importantly, a willingness to play on a bad team for a couple of years. I’m not sure why he would agree to the latter unless it’s by far his best offer.
TKWorldWide
February 03, 2026 at 05:37 pm
Very informative, thank you!
T7Steve
February 03, 2026 at 11:02 am
I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up in a place like Pittsburg. Worse would be in the division though.
Bitternotsour
February 03, 2026 at 02:51 pm
Love to see Willis with MM. Make it happen.
TarynsEyes
February 03, 2026 at 08:52 am
First, let's see where Willis ends up.
Second, let's see what he does as a full season starter, less the spot start and fill-in role.
Third, let's see what he can do when Defenses accrue many games of film on him, as he's still an enigma of sorts.
Hype is a dangerous thing when uncontrolled, and I see the hype of Willis becoming uncontrolled, and a price will be paid, luckily not by GB; we can't afford that price, as we're already paying such with Love's $55 million a year.
How many teams would take Love over the newly hyped Willis? Since MLF says he'd put him up against anyone. Yikes!!!
dobber
February 03, 2026 at 09:20 am
"First,
Second,
Third,"
Spot on.
"as we're already paying such with Love's $55 million a year."
Yawn.
Love doesn't make $55M per year. He doesn't even have a cap hit over $40M until 2027, and they could get out from under a big cash value later in the deal and some bonus money ('28) without every getting hit for over $50M.
"Since MLF says he'd put him up against anyone. Yikes!!!"
Packers can't resign him--and as I understand aren't really trying--so they need to talk him up, create interest and a bidding frenzy to maximize the return on comp picks. It would be stupid to downplay Willis at this stage.
Houndog
February 03, 2026 at 09:41 am
dobber,
"It would be stupid to downplay Willis at this stage".
That's a huge understatement, of course it would be for a number of reasons, and anyone that's seen him play would better.
HawkPacker
February 03, 2026 at 05:26 pm
Just wait and see him sign with the Vikings. That will spell problems for us.
EricTorkelson
February 03, 2026 at 12:24 pm
Im seeing a lot of skill that's going along with that uncontrolled hype there TE, I have said it before I have nothing against J Love he's our QB but the NFL seams to moving toward running ( read option ) type QBs a dimension defensive coach's have to scheme against. Willis open field quick twitch and speed ability are undeniable. Lets take a small equal sample of both QBs without any history ... now take your pick ??
TarynsEyes
February 03, 2026 at 04:01 pm
Taking a small sample size of Willis, while considering the larger size of Love to choose from, I can say that I'd keep Willis because he has much higher energy in his overall play, which is something the team needs and appears to respond to. Love should run a bit more, but he seems to want to be a style of QB (pocket) that he won't become. Did Rodgers and MLF convince him he could during those three seasons on the bench? Has he been convinced he can't run and is watching Willis rally the team with his running eating into his wrongly/falsely embedded confidence? Some want Willis to stay, but the question is why? Will GB pay him 30+ to be a backup? I hope not. With that, I'd still be cautious with the praise of Willis. Too small a sample size, regardless of opinion.
Since'61
February 03, 2026 at 08:52 am
I wish Willis all the best but I am going to hate to see him move on. He deserves it but I wish there could be a way for the Packers to retain him. In many ways I have more confidence in him than I have in Love. Thanks, Since '61
golfpacker61
February 03, 2026 at 09:02 am
In a short sample size 61, Willis has been very impressive. His passing has been sharp like Rodgers, but his scrambling ability set's him apart from most QBs. I would have no problem replacing Love with him if the financials weren't so out of whack with Love's contract. I like Love but he hasn't shown he is a Top 10 QB yet either.
dobber
February 03, 2026 at 10:50 am
"I like Love but he hasn't shown he is a Top 10 QB yet either."
I'm not sure what we're expecting of him that keeps him from being considered a top 10 QB. In aggregate he's 13th in yards while just about every QB ahead of him statistically played 17 games...Love played 14 games and half of the second Bears game. Prorate his numbers over a comparable number of games and he's statistically top 5. His efficiency is up, his INTs were down...he's doing this with a seriously inconsistent run game that put the offense behind the chains with regularity, and they still were one of the better teams in the league on third down.
I think a lot of the people who are unhappy with Love are either still pissed about ARod, never liked Gute, or were really more unhappy about his selection in the first place...or they're Babe or Gavia.
T7Steve
February 03, 2026 at 11:08 am
Think how well Love would do with the O-line creating a running game and play action?
Can't believe how hard people are on Love when he's proven himself in very difficult situations and always kept cheerful and doesn't blame anyone.
crayzpackfan
February 03, 2026 at 12:58 pm
Hard running play action when we're always lined up in shotgun.
T7Steve
February 03, 2026 at 01:39 pm
No sense in being under center when you can't run the ball and play action won't work. Might get a draw if you fool them into pass rush, but we didn't even get that very often did we?
crayzpackfan
February 03, 2026 at 01:55 pm
True. I think you have a better chance at running from under center though. Something GB is allergic to. I think we can both agree though, if the O line was up to snuff, all this mostly get's corrected.
golfpacker61
February 03, 2026 at 03:36 pm
"I think a lot of the people who are unhappy with Love are either still pissed about ARod, never liked Gute, or were really more unhappy about his selection in the first place...or they're Babe or Gavia."
For the record I was THRILLED when Rodgers was traded, should have been 2 years earlier.
I don't think Gute is very good at drafting the right players, (Too many examples to list), but I don't like or dislike him.
I wouldn't have picked Love in the first round, he was a 2nd rounder all day long with terrible stats his last year at Utah St. I thought we were trading up for Patrick Queen, he would have been a great Packer.
Houndog
February 03, 2026 at 09:09 am
I'm with you, Since '61, on that confidence thing.
Willis has that "It" factor that scares the shit out of defenses, a rocket for an arm, and from what my eyes have seen, more accuracy than Love.
Coldworld
February 03, 2026 at 05:23 pm
I think Willis is ideal for LaFleur’s offense and conversely that Love is held back by it in that it doesn’t allow him to capitalize fully on his potential. Someone mentioned Willis with McCarthy. I actually think Love would be a far greater beneficiary of playing in that style of O.
Of course, previously contracted for obligations forced the Love choice (and I don’t see that as the wrong one in isolation as some here do), but not the decision to run it back with LaFleur. That was a decision that was made freely.
I believe that, the the end, we held on to the wrong coach for our QB or the wrong QB for our coach. Emblematic of the lack of strategic vision and leadership within in Lambeau.
golfpacker61
February 03, 2026 at 08:58 am
I am curious, does anyone understand the actual dollars that GB would be on the hook for if we wanted to trade Love and keep Willis? This is just a hypothetical question, but it is February so could a salary cap expert explain it to us. I know some of you are very knowledgeable in this area. Willis has improved to the point that this is worth a discussion.
As long as I am asking about financials, it seems too costly to release Banks and Hobbs this year. How does it change financially next year to trade or cut them both if they are as bad as they were this year?
The reality is Willis will sign with another team and we will get a comp pick. If our bigger free agents sign elsewhere, will the comp picks come in this draft or the next one? With the dollar figures some are projected to get, some of these comp picks could be in the 3rd, 4th, & 5th rounds. Those would be extremely important if they come in the. 2026 draft. How does it work?
"Other teams that could take a swing at Willis are the Jets, Browns and Cardinals." I hope Willis doesn't sign with any of these teams, all 3 are QB graveyards.
dobber
February 03, 2026 at 09:10 am
"As long as I am asking about financials, it seems too costly to release Banks and Hobbs this year."
The cap savings on a straight cut/trade of either prior to June 1 is not very much. The plus to cutting/trading them would be clearing them off the cap in '27. They could make some fair bit of $$ back against the cap on Banks on a Jun 1 cut, but I think his play turned enough as the season progressed that they should hang onto him. You can't cut everyone and the OL is already weak. If they can shore up the LT and/or C positions, he'll be better. I think playing next to a really inconsistent Walker and Rhyan--who was still getting used to the position--didn't do him any favors.
"If our bigger free agents sign elsewhere, will the comp picks come in this draft or the next one?"
All comp picks for the '26 FA period will come in the '27 draft. They look at the contracts signed by your players whose contracts expired and take into account the contracts you give to other teams' free agents and then do a magical calculation. There should be some pretty significant compensation coming assuming both Walkers, Willis, Doubs, and maybe Rhyan all walk. Signing your own FAs doesn't count against the comp pick calculus. I think the Packers will sign a value FA or two...and they might wait until after the comp pick period expires which is just before the draft.
stockholder
February 03, 2026 at 12:02 pm
Wrong- Andy went into cutting Banks
Pack-A-Day Podcast - Episode 2736 -
( Packers Offseason Cut Candidates! )
18.1 new money to keep him on the roster!
Thats nuts the way he played.
They are already 29.3 mil into him if they cut him.
Banks was a bad choice by Gute. Period.
And listen to him talk about paying that to Jenkins.
dobber
February 03, 2026 at 12:26 pm
He has unguaranteed roster bonuses that kick in on the third day of the league year in '26 and one in '27. That's the "new money" you're talking about. If they do move, it needs to be before the roster bonus kicks in because it makes no sense to vest the roster bonus, then cut him.
Houndog
February 03, 2026 at 09:18 am
Golf,
Draft picks will come in the 2027 draft, and will be calculated by a lot of factors, salary, playing time, milestones met, etc., etc!
A guy might look like a 6th round compensatory pick today , but if he starts, plays 17 games, hits all the "show us" factors, and makes the ProBowl, he could climb to a higher pick. They need until after next season to calculate all that.
3rd round is the highest we could get.
Eric Wilson, who we lost to Minny last summer is an example, we'll see that this spring..
stockholder
February 03, 2026 at 12:13 pm
Cap money is priority #1 now.
Ball needs to close the check Book.
when Gute wants to pay a OL Multi years.
bjkdad44
February 03, 2026 at 09:17 am
“I’d put him up against anybody”… how aboutputti g him against Love?
HarryHodag
February 03, 2026 at 09:21 am
I guess the debate about keeping Willis over Love will continue into infinity as the course of the future appears to be settled. The salary cap has enabled a team to be located in Green Bay, leveling the talent playing field. But this situation is a reminder of the negative side of the cap. The Packers are now obligated to keep Love as the starter, as the cap implications of moving Love would be far too awful than the potential gain.
One way to look at the situation is the Packers personnel folks saw the talent Willis has. I wonder how much of that was John-Eric Sullivan, now in Miami?
I doubt whether Willis would sign a big contract with Miami, as logical as that sounds, because Tua's contract puts them largely in the same bind as the Packers are with Love. Love is a better QB, but there are similarities in the situation.
Which brings us to Desmond Ridder. In college, Ridder led Cincinnati (then coached by Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell) to the final four playoffs. He's been around to several NFL teams, not sticking with any. Willis bailed the Packers out in a few games, but I have my doubts the team can get Ridder or Tune to Willis' level.
The backup QB is no small thing. Love could easily get hurt and a promising season could go up in smoke with a lame back up QB. Don't be surprised to see a QB selected in the draft.
Something to watch.
dobber
February 03, 2026 at 11:01 am
"He's been around to several NFL teams, not sticking with any...I have my doubts the team can get Ridder or Tune to Willis' level."
I don't think the Packers gave Tune a chance to show if he's improved over what he was in Arizona...but maybe that says something on its own. They threw away that Vikings game from the start...why not run the offense and see what they have in him? Instead they were killing clock from the opening kickoff. It was more than just a little off-putting.
I'm actually surprised that Ridder has bounced around as much as he has, even though he's struggled taking care of the football. He wasn't a 'woeful' starter in Atlanta...he wasn't a good starter, either, and I think he lost out with the previous coaching change. But he has played extended stretches in the league and has looked good at times. It makes you wonder what teams are seeing when they bring him in, or if he's getting bad advice about how to deal with his own situation. I think he's actually a good get as a backup...he'll give a team a chance to win if called to start in stretches.
golfpacker61
February 03, 2026 at 04:00 pm
It makes all the difference whether a player get drafted by a good team/organization or not visa versa. I think way more when talking about QBs. Look at the Jets & browns as the worst places to land as a QB. And your career can be over in 3 bad years because you never can get any better.
Ridder, like alot of higher drafted QBs on bad teams, get thrown into starting roles way before they are ready. Especially if a head coach is on the hot seat. Ridder started 15 games in his 2nd year in Atlanta. Here is his statline:
GP CMP ATT CMP% YDS AVG TD INT LNG SACK RTG QBR
15 249 388 64.2 2836 7.3 12 12 71 31 83.4 40.8
Not terrible by any means. Just being on a better team will make Ridder a better QB. His completion % has hovered in low to mid 60s. And 31 sacks shows he has escapability.
DoubleJ
February 03, 2026 at 12:11 pm
Packers used an R7 to get him and will get at least an R4 comp pick for him in 2027. That is a pretty good ROI.
Oxymoron 3339
February 03, 2026 at 01:15 pm
Gute did a good job getting him. Would have been great if he extended him a year ago.
Coldworld
February 03, 2026 at 05:29 pm
He could have traded him a year ago and we’d likely have missed the playoffs this year. If I was Willis’ agent this time last year, it would have taken a boatload of up front cash to persuade me my client should sign away his freedom to hit the market next (now this) off season. It wasn’t going to happen.
GreenandBold
February 03, 2026 at 03:42 pm
I don’t see the “ love “ for Love . Yes he’s a good QB . But he does boneheaded things that we’ve all seen . He’s not good under pressure in the playoffs . Top 10 barely if at all . Has long ball and accuracy issues . I’m looking forward to following Willis to see if he truly out performs Love as a starter .
Bitternotsour
February 03, 2026 at 04:06 pm
You'll be watching a long time for that to happen - there is a reason he is a back-up at Green Bay. Jordan Love is elite. Willis is a back-up with promise.
Packerpasty
February 03, 2026 at 06:46 pm
"elite"...Love is by no means elite...closer to a notch above mediocre....long ball accuracy, no charisma, a really funky looking runner...nah, I aint buying "elite"....
13TimeChamps
February 03, 2026 at 08:54 pm
Look we all know you're butthurt that your guy, perennial practice squad Sean Clifford didn't get the QB1 job over Love.
But "no charisma" and "really funky looking runner" is your go to for deciding that Love is a "notch above mediocre"?
Do you even watch the games?
15 games 9–5–1 291 439 66.3 3,381 7.7 23 6 101.2
ctpackman
February 03, 2026 at 04:49 pm
I would welcome a QB controversary in Green Bay, in my book Love has plateaued, I'm not expecting much from Love this year.
He has proved that he lucked out with his contract thus we are stuck with just an average QB.
So why not Pay Willis, and lets see what happens, the better man will win and Im sure it would be Willis.
It's obvious the team responds bettere when he's on the field.
unfortunately neither Gute nor MLF sees it, or is they don't want everyone to know that a mistake was made with JL.
Little do they know that the fans are not dumb, we all ready know
THESZOTMAN1
February 03, 2026 at 05:15 pm
Thanks for the article, Cory. One of best highlight videos I've ever seen. And good luck to Willis as he guns for a starting job next year. I really wouldn't want to play his new team.
Greatest Packer back-up QB since Zeke Bratkowski. And with all due respect to Zeke, a MUCH superior athlete.
The Szotman
Swisch
February 03, 2026 at 07:54 pm
Willis is an exciting prospect in the sense of emerging as a starter. All the best to him!
***
I still have a lot of love for Love. He seems to have a good presence at the line of scrimmage when making adjustments, throws a good ball with a lot of touch, and competes hard all the way to the end of the game.
Also, Love appears to be supremely unselfish when the Packers emphasize the run game. I'd like to see a little more passing most of the time. In any case, I appreciate his willingness to subordinate individual statistics for team accomplishments.
I predict next season will be a great one for our young QB.
***
The lesson of Sam Darnold shows how difficult it is to predict the outcomes of these pro quarterbacks from year to year.
I've been watching some Youtube clips of Doug Flutie shocking the NFL after signing with the Buffalo Bills late in his career.
That was about the time Vinny Testaverde became a late bloomer.
Then there's Steve Young from the Bucs to the 49ers.
I've also been enjoying video of Kurt Warner reviving his career to take the Cardinals to the Super Bowl.
So many of these QBs over the years going up and down in expectations -- showing that so much of life goes beyond talent to tenacity.
***
I'd be remiss in not mentioning my all-time favorite player, Bart Starr, who was practically unnoticed with the Packers in his first couple of seasons. Steely determination can overcome so very much.
I would go so far as to argue that Starr is the greatest quarterback of all time, as the only one at his position to win three championships in a row in the playoff era of the NFL, and five in seven seasons -- with a playoff stat line that is stellar.
He's the perfect example of the craft of quarterbacking in all of its aspects. He developed his passing over the years to be first rate -- winning MVP for the 1966 season and beating the Cowboys in the championship game with four touchdown passes and more than 300 yards -- and combined it with exquisite preparation, attention to detail, and admirable leadership.
We couldn't have a better example from our own team history for all of our ensuing quarterbacks of the Packers to emulate -- if the goal is truly the winning of titles, or at least the highly satisfactory outcome of taking a team to the fullness of its potential.
I'm rooting for Jordan Love to continue the promising start of his career, in the spirit of Bart Starr, by pursuing perfection as the way to achieving excellence.