Tyrod Taylor's biggest threat may not even be on the Packers roster yet

It can't happen, can it?

Tyrod Taylor has made a rough start to the preseason, raising questions about whether he could seriously lose a positional battle that he was the only participant in.

Nobody viewed Kyle McCord as a candidate to become the Green Bay Packers' QB2 at the start of the summer. He still shouldn't be in that conversation. Yet two games into the preseason and only three weeks away from Week 1, it's a problem bubbling to the surface, and it deserves attention.

Could McCord win the job? Should the Packers explore other options? Or are we just panicking over nothing?

Tyrod Taylor's preseason numbers paint a concerning picture for the Packers

Numbers don't tell the full story, but they're not totally lying here, either.

McCord has played more snaps than Taylor. That's true. He's also faced weaker opposition. That's also fair. But Taylor, who is the next QB up should Jordan Love miss any time this season, has looked out of his depth in both preseason contests. That's the harsh reality.

Skying passes over receivers' heads. Completing only half of his attempts. If Packers fans weren't too worried about life without Malik Willis, they sure are now.

While McCord has benefited from playing against mostly backups, Taylor spent time battling the Denver Broncos' starters on Friday nights, but that doesn't excuse missing open receivers. McCord has hardly set the world on fire during his more extensive opportunities, but he's still had moments that would make even the sleepiest preseason watchers wake up. We haven't seen that from Taylor.

According to Pro Football Focus, Taylor's adjusted completion percentage (which removes factors like dropped passes, throwaways, and penalties) is just 53.3 percent through two preseason games. McCord's is 84.4 percent. That's a stunning difference.

In terms of grading, Taylor's overall PFF grade is a woeful 47.2 compared to McCord's 79.5.

Love enjoyed success against Denver's first-team defense, completing five of seven passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. He earned an outstanding 134.5 passer rating before bowing out for the evening.

The offense quickly found rhythm, stayed ahead of the sticks, and moved the ball against one of the league's top defenses.

That all changed once Taylor subbed in. The Packers punted after moving only 14 yards on five plays.

Green Bay will have other options. Many are equally risky, if not more so, but general manager Brian Gutekunst could explore potential moves at quarterback, even if McCord isn't the answer.

Quarterbacks the Packers could consider to replace Tyrod Taylor (not including Kyle McCord)

The assumption is that if the Packers don't keep Taylor, it will be McCord entering the regular season as the QB2. Not necessarily.

Rewind three years. Green Bay had second-year Sean Clifford battling rookie Michael Pratt to back up Jordan Love all summer. The winner? None of them. The Packers instead sent a seventh-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for Malik Willis and never looked back.

It was viewed as a risky move at the time. Willis had just lost a QB battle in Tennessee to Will Levis and Mason Rudolph. His stock wasn't exactly soaring. But Matt LaFleur quickly figured out how to get the best out of him.

Trading for Anthony Richardson would come with similar risks and rewards.

The No. 4 pick of the 2023 NFL Draft still offers a ton of upside despite failing to live up to expectations with the Indianapolis Colts to this point. Daniel Jones is the clear starter in Indianapolis, which makes Richardson a potential trade target before Week 1.

Lee Vowell of Horseshoe Heroes believes a Day 3 pick would get it done.

"Richardson has raw skills that could be intriguing, but he is also a poor decision-maker and inaccurate passer. Even entering his fourth season, he is a project, but one who is only 24 years old," Vowell said.

Richardson is a phenomenal athlete with a huge arm, but as Vowell notes, the inaccuracy has been a major problem. In 17 career appearances, Richardson has completed just 50.6 percent of his passes for 2,400 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, with a 67.8 passer rating.

But he's a dual-threat quarterback, having rushed for 634 yards and 10 touchdowns with the Colts.

LaFleur would need to cook up a specific game plan, as he did with Willis, to limit Richardson's YOLO risk-taking as a passer while maximizing his ability to punish defenses on the ground. If any coach can do it, it's LaFleur.

Aidan O'Connell is another name to watch.

He was a fourth-round pick in the same 2023 quarterback class as Richardson, and he's shown more promise as a passer, completing 62 percent of his passes for 3,932 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in the NFL.

The Las Vegas Raiders have added first overall pick Fernando Mendoza and veteran Kirk Cousins this offseason, leaving O'Connell on the outside looking in. Considering how he has looked in the preseason, it won't be surprising if there's trade interest.

"A solid backup quarterback with arm talent who can keep the offense afloat. Nothing special, not incredibly mobile, but he has experience, wouldn't be expensive and is smart," said Levi Dombro of Just Blog Baby.

O'Connell would give the Packers a quarterback with a higher floor but a lower ceiling than Richardson.

Perhaps Brian Gutekunst goes back to Tennessee and trades for one of Willis' former teammates in Levis.

Levis also hasn't lived up to second-round expectations as another quarterback from the 2023 class. The Titans are 5-16 in games he has started, and he's thrown for 3,899 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions in 21 career starts.

"Levis is a naturally gifted quarterback who continues to struggle when the pocket collapses. Navigating pressure is a challenge. He has legitimate arm talent and should still be viewed as an intriguing developmental quarterback," said Justin Melo of Titan Sized.

All three quarterbacks present risk. There's a reason why they could be available. But the same was true of Willis in 2024, and he reached new heights with the Packers and signed a $67.5 million deal with the Miami Dolphins this offseason.

It all comes down to the Packers' assessment of Taylor and McCord.

Taylor offers more experience than any potential incoming quarterback, but that can only get you so far. Is he capable of leading the Packers' offense if Love has to leave the field? Can Taylor guide Green Bay to victories if Love sits out of a game?

Perhaps the better question is this: Does Taylor give the Packers a better chance to win than McCord or a trade candidate like Richardson, O'Connell, or Levis?

It's a conversation nobody expected to be necessary. Taylor was the clear QB2 entering training camp, but after two shaky performances in the preseason, it's fair to wonder whether the veteran may have created a positional battle that didn't exist three weeks ago.

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