With quarterback Jordan Love sidelined by a concussion in Week 17, the Green Bay Packers turned to backup QB Malik Willis to take on the Baltimore Ravens.
Saturday night’s game against the Ravens was a must-win for the Packers, especially if they wanted to give themselves a chance to win the NFC North and host a playoff game at Lambeau Field. However, that didn’t happen, as the Packers lost 41-24 despite an impressive effort from Willis, who showed in primetime that he’s ready to be a starting quarterback in this league.
Willis completed 18-of-21 passes for 288 yards and a passing touchdown, while also adding 60 yards on the ground and two scores. Even though he was banged up with a shoulder, you could not ask for much more from Willis. After that performance, the talk on social media was about the backup QB’s future and if he’s a better option to run head coach Matt LaFleur’s offense than Love, who they gave a four-year, $220 million extension to in July 2024.
When speaking with reporters on Sunday, LaFleur made sure to pump the brakes on Willis' hype and let it be known that the QB1 going forward will be Jordan Love, no questions asked.
“It’s pretty clear that Jordan is our franchise quarterback, and he’s going to be — when he’s healthy — he’s going to be our starter. So I just want to squash all that,” LaFleur said via Ryan Wood of Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Packers Already Closing the Door on Malik Willis Before Season Ends
Some Packers fans thought it was crazy that LaFleur even addressed this, as Love hasn’t done anything wrong to warrant not being the starter anymore. However, anytime the backup plays well, no matter the team, fans begin to play the hypothetical game.
That said, LaFleur’s comments could also signal that Willis won’t return next season. Green Bay clearly likes him, and his growth over the last two seasons has been phenomenal.
But let’s be real, if Willis gets a lucrative opportunity in free agency to compete for a starting job elsewhere, it will be hard for the Packers to match that. According to Spotrac, the Packers will only have just over $19.4 million in available cap space while needing to address 18 pending free agents. Furthermore, Willis would be doing a disservice to himself by not taking the chance on himself to see if he can take what he learned in Green Bay and apply it elsewhere.
If you’re the Packers, you love that you have two good options at QB, especially when injuries happen. Most teams would love to have a quarterback like Willis as their backup, as he’s clearly playing with the utmost confidence and brings another element as a dual-threat signal caller.
Love is mobile but isn’t a dual threat like Willis. And at the same time, you can say that Love is a better passer than Willis.
If Willis gets another chance to play in Week 18, and performs well once again, it will solidify the thought and belief that he’ll be wearing a different uniform in 2026.