With Malik Willis off to Miami, one big question that remains for the Green Bay Packers this offseason is who the next backup quarterback will be. Not only do the Packers need to replace Willis, of course, but they have a history of drafting and developing project quarterbacks with an eye toward longer-term value.
If they opt to go the draft route, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik would be a fascinating prospect.
Klubnik got off to a roaring start as a freshman in 2022 at Clemson. Klubnik entered the season as the backup to D.J. Uiagalelei and stayed that way for much of the season. Near the end of the year, and on a big stage during the ACC Championship, Uiagalelei was benched in the first quarter. Klubnik came in, threw for 279 yards and a touchdown, and led the Tigers past North Carolina in a blowout win. The freshman was surgical, going 20 for 24 in victory.
That game put Klubnik on the map. He followed it up with a fine sophomore season as the full-time starter and a stellar junior season.
Klubnik returned for his senior season in 2025. Entering the year, many mock drafts had him pegged as a first- or second-round selection. The season did not go according to plan, and a decline in play, hampered by noticeable inconsistencies, sent his draft stock plummeting.
Now, most outlets view Klubnik as a Day 3 pick, and Green Bay would be an intriguing destination.
If the Packers were to draft Klubnik, it would likely be under the guise of developing him slowly instead of immediately anointing him as the backup to Jordan Love. In this scenario, the Packers would have to deem it worthy to carry three quarterback on the active roster coming out of training camp and the preseason.
Klubnik’s accolades are significant, even if his final year in college was less than inspiring. The highs weren’t as lofty as they were during his junior campaign. But the quarterback isn’t the only source of blame for why Clemson had what is considered a down year in 2025, by the team’s own standards. However, Klubnik’s up-and-down play certainly played a part.
What was most head scratching was Klubnik missing some layup throws that he made look easy in past seasons. Drops were a consistent issue throughout the year as well, so his receivers contributed some to this as well.
So, why would the Packers be interested?
Read any article about Klubnik from almost any outlet and you can find and teammates and coaches raving about his character and personality. Green Bay values the person almost as much as it values the player in draft evaluations. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney constantly praised Klubnik’s leadership:
Whoever gets a chance to coach him next, I don’t care where he gets drafted, if he’s first round, seventh round, undrafted free agent — which I doubt — this kid has got a lot more football ahead of him. Whoever gets to coach Cade Klubnik will be better because of it. He’s been an incredible blessing to me in my life, and man, I’m just so thankful for him.
Klubnik also displayed plenty of mobility and ability to extend plays, which is something that drew general manager Brian Gutekunst to Malik Willis two years ago.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com bundled everything together nicely when profiling Klubnik’s play.
Much was expected of Klubnik after a strong showing in 2024, but his play and production declined in 2025. He’s undersized but athletic and shows an ability to attack zone windows with adequate velocity over the first two levels. He can make some timing throws with anticipation when in rhythm. The accuracy numbers to most areas of the field fall below the mark, but tape study shows a high drop count by his receivers. While his designed run production fell off in 2025, he remains pocket-mobile, avoiding sacks and exploiting rushing lanes.
Klubnik may never be a starting quarterback in the NFL. In fact, the odds are heavily against it. There is something to be said, though, about a prospect who was hailed as a first- to second-round selection entering 2025. Can a team like Green Bay get Klubnik back to form and bring out those traits that caught so many eyes in 2024? Or was that just a flash in the pan? That mystery makes him an intriguing name to track during the draft.
The Packers don’t have an answer yet for their QB2, nor do they have the next project they want to take on at the position. The solution could come in the form of one quarter back, or two. If the answer is two, Cade Klubnik would be an interesting late Day 3 selection.
