Credit where credit is due, Brian Gutekunst looks like a genius for acquiring Malik Willis. Willis' rookie deal expired with the start of the new league year, making the young quarterback a free agent, where he landed a massive payday with the Miami Dolphins.
It puts the Packers in a familiar position, trying to find a capable backup quarterback. Green Bay has had a number of prominent backups over the years, from Doug Pedersen, Matt Hasselbeck, Mark Brunell, and Matt Flynn. Willis joined that list.
With Willis gone, who will the Packers turn to back up Jordan Love?
Potential in-house options for the Packers at quarterback
Desmond Ridder is the other quarterback currently on the Packers' roster.
The Atlanta Falcons drafted Ridder in 2022 following a prolific career at the University of Cincinnati. He was the second quarterback taken that year, falling to the third round.
In his rookie season, Ridder led Atlanta to a 2-2 record, throwing for 708 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, while rushing for 64 yards. His second season was much more of a struggle, as he was benched for Taylor Heinicke for a few games before earning back the starting job. The stats weren't pretty for the season: 2,836 yards passing, 12 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and 193 rushing yards for five touchdowns. Since then, Ridder has bounced around the league.
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Nevertheless, it's hard not to be at least intrigued by Ridder being in Green Bay. Turn on any of his highlight videos, and you see an incredibly athletic and talented player. He has a presence in the pocket, though he is certainly capable of tucking the ball and running.
Ridder could certainly benefit from working with Matt LaFleur and Luke Getsy. Still, Green Bay will most likely bring in at least some competition for camp and the preseason.
Potential free agents the Packers could target at quarterback
We can't pass up the opportunity to acknowledge that Aaron Rodgers is a free agent for just the second time in his NFL career. That's never going to happen, though.
Taking a look through the free agent quarterbacks, very few options stick out. The Packers are in a delicate spot of trying to find someone capable of starting in the event that Jordan Love goes down with injury, but only in that situation.
We can likely rule out Joe Flacco and Tyrod Taylor, as they could compete for starting jobs. Carson Wentz likely falls into that conversation as well. We will also rule out Zack Wilson, Josh Johnson, and Trey Lance, as they just aren't good enough. Russell Wilson could be an intriguing veteran option, but it seems unlikely.
Two options really stand out: Jimmy Garoppolo and Brett Rypien.
Garoppolo has plenty of experience in the Kyle Shanahan offense, having been Shanahan's hand-chosen QB to start his tenure in San Francisco. He later backed up Matthew Stafford under Sean McVay.
Rypien has bounced around the league, and his pro success has produced mixed results. He has a 2-2 record, with four touchdowns and nine interceptions despite not throwing a regular-season pass since he started against the Packers with the Los Angeles Rams in 2023.
Still, he has made a career as a journeyman and could be a decent backup for training camp, if Ridder is the preferred option. The team could also look at bringing back Taylor Elgersma, who spent time with the Packers last summer.
Late-round draft options the Packers could consider at quarterback
Cole Payton, out of North Dakota State, would provide that dual-threat option as a sixth- or seventh-round pick. Payton's mechanics aren't pretty when throwing the ball, but he manages to do it with a high success rate. In his lone season as the starter for the Bison, he tossed 16 touchdowns, with only four interceptions, and threw for 2,719 yards. He ran for an additional 777 yards and 13 touchdowns in his final season.
If Green Bay wants a more "traditional" QB, Luke Altmyer is one to watch. We know that Brian Gutekunst loves the Senior Bowl, and Altmyer was one of the standouts, helping his squad move the ball with both arm and legs when necessary. A three-year starter for Illinois, Altmyer threw for a career-high 3,007 yards, 22 touchdowns, and just five interceptions, while rushing for five scores as well.
Ridder may be the leader in the clubhouse when it comes to the backup quarterback spot. However, the Packers should have plenty of options should they choose to look elsewhere.