The Green Bay Packers have a bunch of needs to address this offseason, but the backup quarterback situation has somehow fallen under the radar. Malik Willis got things started by signing with the Miami Dolphins in free agency. Since then, the Packers have been connected to several options but haven’t committed to a backup quarterback.
The Packers aren’t completely bare behind Jordan Love, with Desmond Ridder and Kyle McCord set to battle for the backup job during the early portion of the offseason program and training camp. But the draft presents another chance to address their quarterback depth, and it could land Green Bay an unexpected solution to their backup problems.
Packers Facing Key Backup QB Decision Ahead of NFL Draft
While Ridder has 25 games of NFL experience and 18 starts, he didn’t appear in a game last season, bouncing from the Cincinnati Bengals (practice squad) and Minnesota Vikings before landing in Green Bay late in the season. McCord is an even bigger unknown, and it would benefit the Packers to bring someone in with more upside.
This year’s draft isn’t loaded with high-end quarterback prospects. Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza is currently projected as the No. 1 overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders but Alabama’s Ty Simpson is the only other signal-caller in the same zip code, ranking No. 31 in the NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board.
From there, it’s a steep drop-off to LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier (No. 82), North Dakota State’s Cole Payton (No. 112), and Penn State’s Drew Allar (No. 116), but it represents potential value for the Packers to fill the backup quarterback spot.
Consider the path that Willis took to Green Bay. A top prospect in the 2022 draft class, Willis fell to the third round before being selected by the Tennessee Titans. Things didn’t work out for him in Tennessee, but he was traded to the Packers before the 2024 season and spent two years developing under Matt LaFleur’s guidance.
Willis thrived when called upon, completing 78.7 percent of his passes for 972 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions while running for 261 yards and three touchdowns over 11 games in Green Bay. While Willis left, the Packers came out ahead and could get a fourth-round compensatory pick in the 2027 draft, according to Over The Cap’s projections.
This is where the Packers have options. Nussmeier was considered a potential No. 1 overall pick by oddsmakers this time a year ago before injuries, and Brian Kelly sabotaged his final year at LSU. Payton and Allar are developmental prospects, and Cade Klubnik was also considered an NFL prospect before a rough final year at Clemson.
Buying into a quarterback who had a tough situation in college could pay dividends. But it also shows why the Packers could wait until later in the summer to let McCord and Ridder battle it out. If that battle is similar to the one Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt had in 2024, Green Bay could scan the trade market for another solution.
This makes the draft an important data point in the Packers’ search for a backup quarterback and could land someone who becomes a diamond in the rough after Willis heads to Miami.
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