Packers Make Big QB Move on Roster Cutdown Day After Willis Trade

The Packers are now down to just two quarterbacks as they trim their roster to 53 players, officially releasing both 2023 fifth-round pick Sean Clifford and rookie Michael Pratt.

After trading for Malik Willis on Monday night, Green Bay elected to keep just him along with rising star Jordan Love. Clifford and Pratt both struggled throughout training camp and the preseason. Even still, it's surprising for the organization to suddenly only have Love and a player who hasn't even practiced with the team yet.

Perhaps they plan to make another addition. Their feelings on Clifford and Pratt are both clear either way.

Packers News: Green Bay Releases Two QBs

Clifford completed only 51.2% of his preseason passes at 4.8 yads per attempt with one TD and one interception. Pratt wasn't much better, averaging 5.1 yards per attempt with a 75.7 passer rating.

Willis was an exciting dual-threat prospect coming out of Liberty as a 2022 third-round selection by Tennessee. He had an excellent preseason, hitting on 74.1% of his attempts at 7.6 yards per pass with a pair of TD passes to one pick.

It's easy to envision head coach Matt LaFleur scheming up creative plays utilizing Willis' speed with the exciting skill position group, and Green Bay obviously has a strong history of developing quarterbacks.

Entering the preseason, Clifford was thought to be in position to win the backup role. Penn State's all-time leading passer, he had a year of experience in the system and the Packers had already committed draft capital to him. Things didn't go as planned, so general manager Brian Gutekunst chose to go in a different direction.

If the Packers do enter the season with just Love and Willis, they'll be putting a lot of faith in their respective abilities to stay healthy. The margin of error would become slimmer, and it's likely they'll be active in exploring additional options following roster cuts.

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