In past years, the Green Bay Packers season was doomed when Aaron Rodgers got hurt. But Seneca Wallace, Tim Boyle, and DeShone Kizer have nothing on Malik Willis.
Packers fans held their breath as they saw Jordan Love lying on the tattered Sao Paulo turf in Week 1. After the game, Green Bay revealed that Love would miss four to six weeks. Fans clad in green and gold began penciling in the losses.
It was unclear how many games Love would miss, and people assumed the Packers could not win without him. Staring down the barrel of a 0-4 or even 0-5 start, it looked like salvaging the rest of the year would be tough once Love got healthy.
Willis was a huge question mark. The former Liberty and Auburn quarterback entered the NFL with a questionable resumé. Willis had started three games over his two years in Green Bay and had never recorded a touchdown. He also threw three interceptions and completed just 51% of his passes.
The Tennessee Titans had drafted Willis in the third round, making him the third quarterback taken in the 2022 NFL draft. After not panning out in Tennessee, Willis was the third quarterback on the depth chart. Immediately before roster cut-down day, the Titans traded him to the Packers.
Green Bay acquired him to be Love’s backup for a seventh-round pick. After trading for Willis, they put Michael Pratt and Sean Clifford on waivers and Green Bay’s practice squad, respectively. For better or worse, Willis was the guy in Green Bay.
The Packers had a softer schedule in Weeks 2 and 3, with matchups against the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans. These games looked winnable with Willis, but nobody knew that for certain. The odds were not on Green Bay’s side. Pundits from around the league favored the Colts to take advantage of the Packers without Love.
Little did we know that Willis and head coach Matt LaFleur would guide the Green and Gold to two timely wins despite a tougher upcoming schedule.
“Three starts, that’s what I was judged off,” Willis said after the Titans game, “and that’s what it is.
“You don’t really have a say-so in that. It’s a results-based league. It’s a business, so I can’t really be mad about that. I got my opportunity. Whether it was one of the better opportunities or not, it was an opportunity. I’m grateful for that. I learned from it. I’ll try to continue to work hard until my next one comes.”
Willis earned a 75.6 PFF grade against Tennessee and a 69.6 against Indianapolis. Both are very respectable grades, and they were enough to get Green Bay a win. Willis game-managed the Packers to victory by throwing his first touchdown pass, making smart reads, and using his legs to guide the Packers to victory.
“I just cannot articulate the job that he’s done in this short period of time,” LaFleur said. “People can’t fathom it. I promise you, you guys don’t get it. I know you think you got it, but you don’t get it. What he’s been able to do, I’ve never seen something like this.
Willis helped the Packers overcome Love’s injury. The Packers starter could play against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4. Going into that game 2-1 instead of 0-3 makes a massive difference for Green Bay.
The rest of the schedule is a bit easier to navigate now. NFL teams have some idea of what to expect from opponents moving forward. With Love only out for two weeks and teams revealing how good they are, it’s easier to see Green Bay’s path ahead.
Willis was able to flip the narrative on his skillset and lead the Packers through a tumultuous time without Love. Now, the Packers have their starter back and confidence that their backup can step in and keep their season alive.
All stats and data via ESPN, Green Bay Packers, and Football Reference unless otherwise noted.
