Packers are running out of options if they truly want to add an experienced backup quarterback to replace Malik Willis
Packers have three QBs under contract.
The Green Bay Packers were inevitably going to get worse at backup quarterback this offseason. It was unrealistic to extend or re-sign Malik Willis, who got a starting-level contract to play for the Miami Dolphins, and getting a new backup would be costly or an obvious downgrade.
Kyler Murray and Geno Smith were viable options, but both got starting jobs for the Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets, respectively.
Mitchell Trubisky, Marcus Mariota, Joe Flacco, and Gardner Minshew all signed top backup deals, and Zach Wilson ended up on the New Orleans Saints.
Packers backup QB situation
The Plan B to Jordan Love at this moment is Desmond Ridder, who arrived in Green Bay last year and effectively replaced Clayton Tune as the third-stringer behind Willis for the playoffs. The Packers signed Ridder to the active roster and through 2026 to make sure he’d be an option in the offseason. Ridder is the most likely backup at this point, and a viable option, since he’s started 18 games in his NFL career and was certainly better than Willis had been for the Tennessee Titans. The upside is probably not as high, but the floor is decent enough.
Right after the season, the Packers also signed Kyle McCord, a sixth-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles last season, as a developmental piece.
Available options
If general manager Brian Gutekunst is not satisfied with Ridder and McCord, the front office is running out of options to sign veterans. At this point, the most natural alternative is Kirk Cousins, who played under Matt LaFleur in Washington and has familiarity with the scheme.
Even though Cousins is not at his physical prime anymore, he’s a smart player and was capable if unspectacular for the Atlanta Falcons last season. Because he was released and had guarantees left on his deal, he’d likely sign a veteran minimum deal with the Packers, and it wouldn’t count against the compensatory pick formula.
Another solid option, and one who’s been connected to the Packers earlier this offseason, is Jimmy Garoppolo. He’s played under Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay, so system familiarity is obvious. He tends to be a little more expensive, so the Packers could wait until after the draft to avoid canceling out a comp pick.
The final competent quarterback available in free agency is Tyrod Taylor, who’s started 62 games throughout a long NFL career — he’s been in the league since 2011, the past two years on the New York Jets. He brings more athletic ability just like Willis, even if not at the same style or level at this point.
The draft is also a path, but indications show the front office is trending toward getting a late-rounder or undrafted quarterback to compete at the bottom of the roster or for a practice squad spot.
Jordan Love is the unquestioned franchise QB, and the Packers are happy with him. But the backup spot is much less clear now, and the next few weeks will be telling.
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