What the Packers can expect from Malik Willis (and what they can't)

What Malik Willis can do, what he can't, and whether he can keep the Packers afloat during Jordan Love's absence.

By the time Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst decided to trade for quarterback Malik Willis earlier this month, he had probably endured a few sleepless nights. Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt, two young signal-callers that Gutekunst selected over the prior 18 months, had each failed to convincingly win the No. 2 job after weeks of training camp and preseason games.

With the in-house options exhausted and the need for a capable backup to Jordan Love paramount, the veteran GM made the difficult decision to part with one of his prized draft picks in order to secure Willis' services.

"Certainly, there were some underwhelming performances, I think, at times," Gutekunst said in reference to Clifford and Pratt, each of whom the Packers waived during final cuts.

But while the Packers felt compelled to upgrade their backup QB, they had other reasons to pursue Willis in particular. When he entered the draft in 2022, Willis looked to many like a first-round prospect. At one point, he had reportedly put himself "in the mix" for the No. 2 overall pick held by the Detroit Lions. Willis ultimately went two rounds later to the Tennessee Titans as the third signal-caller off the board.

Willis endured considerable change during his first two NFL seasons. The man who drafted him, Titans GM Jon Robinson, lost his job later that year. Neither Robinson's replacement, Ran Carthon, nor Tennessee's head coach, Mike Vrabel, had any real investment in Willis, a fact made clear by the 2023 selection of quarterback Will Levis in the second round. Willis didn't even get a second year under the same coaching regime as the team fired Vrabel, bringing in Brian Callahan and a new offensive staff.

Those factors didn't determine Willis' experience in Nashville, but they do provide important context. He entered the league as a gifted but raw prospect in need of considerable refinement, not totally dissimilar to Love coming out of college. But unlike Love, Willis didn't receive the coaching, patience, and opportunities needed to develop.

The Packers don't know whether the story would have played out differently for Willis in a different situation. However, they do see signs of growth as well as the physical tools that made him an intriguing prospect in the first place.

"Malik is a guy that's in his third year and he's really shown a lot of progression, particularly this past preseason," Gutekunst said. "It's just an opportunity for us to add a guy that I think can not only make plays with his arm, but his legs as well. I'm excited to get him, get him in the building, and see where that goes."

Of course, Willis' timeline in Green Bay just changed dramatically. Love suffered an MCL sprain in the season opener that will likely keep him sidelined for multiple weeks. On Monday, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur wouldn't rule out Love returning for Sunday's tilt with the Indianapolis Colts. However, he did confirm that Willis would start otherwise, not practice-squad member Sean Clifford or a quarterback outside the organization.

"He's put a lot of time and effort into this thing," LaFleur said of Willis. "He's grinding. He's learned the terminology and is able to spit out the play calls. We got confidence in him. I think if he's giving a full week of preparation, a full week of practice, I got confidence that he'll go out there and perform at a high level."

Still, while the Packers have publicly expressed faith in Willis, it remains a significant challenge to prepare a quarterback to start an NFL game less than three weeks after his arrival. Not only will the coaches need to get him up to speed in a very short period of time, but they will also need to tailor the game plan to his strengths and weaknesses, a skill set that offers considerable differences from Love.

Indeed, Willis cannot replicate Love's play style. However, he does possess other tantalizing traits, some that no other Green Bay quarterback of recent vintage brought to the table.

What can Willis do?