The Green Bay Packers took an unacceptable overtime loss to the Chicago Bears on Saturday night, likely knocking them out of contention for the NFC North divisional crown. Even though quarterbackJordan Love was injured during the game, his exit is not why the Packers lost.
Malik Willis, Love's replacement, played an extremely efficient game. Willis completed nine of 11 passes, one being a 33-yard touchdown toss to wideout Romeo Doubs in the second half, and added 44 yards on the ground. Safe to say, Willis didn't look like a backup.
Probably because he's not. While no one would call Green Bay a lucky franchise amid a season they've lost their top trench defender, top tight end, and depth up and down the roster, the Packers are unquestionably lucky to have Willis.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said after the loss that Willis "did a helluva job," adding that "the operation was pretty smooth for the most part, but not enough at the end obviously." He also shared a troubling update that could either make Green Bay's situation spiral out of control or could set Willis up to be a hero down the stretch if the concussion protocol keeps Love out over the next two weeks before the playoffs. Or even in the postseason if it gets that far.
"I'd say he's pretty sore," LaFleur said of Willis. "That's a legitimate deal that he's dealing with. He's going to be another guy that we'll see where he's at as we progress. That further complicates the other problem."
But regardless of how far he can lead the Packers, Willis might not be long for Green Bay.
Malik Willis Is Too Good to Be Packers' QB2
The Packers are lucky that Willis was able to step in seamlessly for Love. In fact, they might be too lucky. Each relief appearance the veteran QB makes brings more attention to him, making it clear that he might be worth testing as a starter.
Including the two starts he made last season, Willis has now completed 52-of-68 passes (76.5%) for 684 passing yards, five touchdowns, and a 132.2 passer rating in 10 appearances with Green Bay. He's also converted 13 carries into 63 rushing yards, displaying the basic mobility that most teams want in their starting QBs these days.
Without Willis, who knows how bad things get in Green Bay? LaFleur rightfully sounds worried, but Willis is playing for his next contract now that his rookie contract is about to expire. If he makes the most of any time Love misses, Willis could chase money in free agency, potentially leaving the Packers without a proper QB2 next season.
Clayton Tune is the only other QB on the roster, and he's on the practice squad. In other words, the Packers don't have an immediate successor for Willis if he leaves town in March. A potential exit would make finding another signal-caller, either through free agency or the draft, a top priority, making Willis' situation more than worth monitoring moving forward.