Packers have intriguing chance to add veteran QB but must decide if move truly represents clear upgrade
Former second-round pick Will Levis is entering the final year of his rookie deal with the Tennessee Titans, while the Packers just lost Malik Willis in free agency.
The Green Bay Packers lost Malik Willis, so finding a new backup quarterback to stay behind Jordan Love is an important task for general manager Brian Gutekunst — Willis started three games in his two years in Green Bay.
With the draft approaching, some intriguing options emerged. One of them is Will Levis, who plays for the same Tennessee Titans who traded Willis to the Packers two years ago — and Levis was better than Willis had been in Nashville, even though neither established themselves.
On ESPN Milwaukee, NFL insider Adam Schefter mentioned that Levis and Indianapolis Colts’ Anthony Richardson could be on the move for essentially no compensation — the comparison is the sixth/seventh-round swap that the New York Jets got from the Denver Broncos for Zach Wilson.
“Not much,” Schefter said when asked what it would take to trade for one of the AFC South backups. “What did the Denver Broncos give up for Zach Wilson, who at one point was the second overall pick in the draft? I feel like that’s what you’re talking about here with these guys. Anthony Richardson was the fourth overall pick, and Will Levis was a second-round pick, and these guys are just looking to get something back. So if there’s a quarterback that you like, then that would be the deal.”
Backup quarterback situation
Even though Will Levis was better than Malik Willis for the Titans, there was a bigger sample size to understand what he can or can’t do. The big question for the Packers isn’t only what they did in Tennessee, but if Levis is an actual improvement over the current backup, Desmond Ridder.
Levis has played 21 NFL games, starting all of them, with an 82.7 passer rating, plus 240 rushing yards. Ridder has played 25 games, starting 18, with an 82.6 passer rating and 293 rushing yards. It’s a similar production, with Levis actually having a more concerning career curve.
Ridder is signed through 2026 with the Packers, and Levis also has only one year left on his rookie deal — that’s a big difference compared to Willis, who had two years left to play when the Packers acquired him.
“We’re always looking to add to that room,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “I think picking up Desmond at the end of last year and then after the season ended, we did some things already for this year. But at the same time, I’ve said this many times, I think it’s the most important position of all professional sports, probably the hardest. So we evaluate that position every year very thoroughly. There are some good players in this draft. If we have an opportunity to add to that room, we will.”
At this point, the Packers could easily be in the mix to acquire a veteran quarterback to be the backup. However, the situation doesn’t seem that bad with Desmond Ridder — and getting a clear upgrade over him is much more difficult than it may look at first.