The Packers Should Not Trade Malik Willis Unless This Happens

The Green Bay Packers appear set at quarterback entering the 2025 NFL Draft. Jordan Love established himself as the starter and Malik Willis proved himself to be a reliable backup. But rumors have abounded that the Packers may seek to trade Willis at or before the draft. Today we examine the team’s quarterback situation and explain why the Packers should not trade Malik Willis unless they are bowled over by an offer that is too good to turn down.

The Packers Should Not Trade Malik Willis Unless This Happens: The Quarterback Situation

The Packers entered training camp in 2024 with two young quarterbacks in Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt. Unfortunately, both players failed to impress during the preseason or in training camp. The Packers released Pratt and Clifford ended up on the practice squad.

So, GM Brian Gutekunst acquired Willis from the Titans after the preseason and before the start of the regular season. When Love was injured late in the season opener, Willis was pressed into duty.

Willis started two games, and the Packers won both of them. He also came off the bench a few weeks later when Love left early due to another injury. Once again, Willis led the team to a victory.

Willis showed outstanding athleticism and mobility. He also has a strong arm.

For the season, Willis completed an impressive 74.1 percent of his passes while throwing three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also averaged 10.2-yards per attempt and ran 20 times for 138 yards and a score. These are impressive numbers, especially considered he had less than two weeks to prepare before he was thrust into the lineup.

The Current Situation

Willis has one year left on his current contract with a cap hit of a little more than $1.4 million this year. After this season, he will be an unrestricted free agent unless the Packers sign him to a new deal.

As usual, the NFL has a shortage of quality quarterbacks. Some teams are still searching for their starting quarterback or are unhappy with the guy currently on their roster. So, it remains possible another team could make an offer for Willis who will still be just 26 next month and has great athletic tools.

In addition, last offseason, Gutekunst indicated he wanted the Packers to return to drafting a developmental quarterback on day three of the draft on a frequent basis like Ron Wolf did during his tenure with the team. That strategy yielded players like Mark Brunell, Matt Hasselbeck, and Aaron Brooks who backed up briefly in Green Bay and then were traded for draft picks. The Packers used those picks to stay competitive despite winning consistently and picking late in the draft nearly every year in the 1990s and 2000s.

The Packers Should Not Trade Malik Willis Unless This Happens: When They Should Make a Trade

Keep in mind, the Packers would not have made the playoffs last season without Willis’ contributions when Love missed time due to injury. Not many teams have a backup they can rely on to win games under those circumstances, so Willis provides the team with a valuable commodity. However, the odds of Willis remaining in Green Bay after the 2025 season are slim.

If another team makes an offer of a third-round pick for Willis or some other offer the team deems too good to pass up, they should make the deal. Otherwise, Gutekunst should be in no rush to trade Willis who can hopefully provide the Packers with another season of quality backup quarterback play if needed.

The good news is that the ball is in the Packers court. They don’t have an urgent need to make a trade. But if a team is desperate enough to make a great offer, Gutekunst need not turn it down.

The Packers would then simply draft a quarterback on day three and groom him to be Love’s new backup. They may do that even if they keep Willis this season, but the draftee would probably end up on the practice squad to start the season.