The Green Bay Packers starting quarterback position was in question throughout the week as regular starter Jordan Love returned to practice, and the team took all the way until Saturday night to make a definitive decision.
In the end, the coaching staff chose to play it safe and keep Love out as he continues to heal from a sprained MCL sustained in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the Packers’ choice to go with backup quarterback Malik Willis against the Tennessee Titans in Week 3 via a social media post.
The #Packers haven’t ruled out QB Jordan Love, but Malik Willis is expected to get his second start Sunday at Tennessee, sources tell me and @RapSheet.
Love (MCL sprain) was at practice all week and is getting closer. But it most likely will be at least another week. pic.twitter.com/83ZWwDRpz2
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 22, 2024
“The #Packers haven’t ruled out QB Jordan Love, but Malik Willis is expected to get his second start Sunday at Tennessee, sources tell me and [Ian Rapoport],” Pelissero wrote on X. “Love (MCL sprain) was at practice all week and is getting closer. But it most likely will be at least another week.”
Malik Willis Proved Efficient Game Manager for Packers in Week 2
GettyQuarterback Malik Willis of the Green Bay Packers.
Willis started the Packers’ home opener against the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday, which Green Bay won by a score of 16-10.
He was highly efficient, completing 12-of-15 passes for 122 yards and 1 TD while taking care of the football with zero turnovers. Willis’ performance should probably be graded on a curve, as Green Bay kept things simple for the third-year QB in just his fourth NFL start and asked the running backs to carry the load.
The Packers finished the day with 53 total carries for 261 yards, including 32 attempts for 151 yards from starter Josh Jacobs. Willis added 6 attempts for 41 yards as the team’s second-leading rusher, gaining 4 yards more than wide receiver Jayden Reed who had 37 rushing yards on the day.
Jacobs and Reed each put the football on the ground once, leading to one Packers turnover. Meanwhile, Green Bay forced 3 INTs off the hand of Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, which was a key stat factoring into the game’s eventual outcome.
Malik Willis Faces Former Team in Tennessee on Sunday
GettyGreen Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur
The Packers made three substantial wagers in Week 2: the first on the run game, the second on their defense and the third on Willis proving himself an efficient game manager capable of limiting mistakes.
All three bets hit, which was good enough for a 6-point victory to move the team to 1-1. Whether Green Bay would have chosen to hold Love out an extra week if the team was 0-2 is impossible to know, but the pressure to win on the road in Nashville would have certainly ratcheted up a notch or two.
The Packers now have the luxury of starting Willis for a second consecutive week, this time in a game against his former team. The Titans drafted Willis in the third round a couple of years ago and considered keeping him on the roster as their third QB as the preseason drew to a close.
Ultimately, Tennessee traded Willis to Green Bay in late August for a seventh-round pick next year. He now gets a chance to return to his first NFL team and try to win his second start after going 0-3 with the Titans across his first two professional campaigns.
The Packers will likely try to replicate the same game plan that helped them capture a win in Week 2, though it’s unlikely that Tennessee won’t stack the box against the run in an effort to make Willis beat them through the air.
That could lead to more mixed results regarding the QB’s stat line than he achieved last Sunday against the Colts.