Why Trading Malik Willis Shouldn't Be On the Table

Finding a trustworthy backup quarterback is no easy task. Finding one who not only steps in but also flourishes when he’s called upon is even harder.

The Green Bay Packers have found just such a player in Malik Willis. Trading him this offseason for a pick shouldn't even be on the table.

The Packers went the draft route the past two years in search of Jordan Love's backup. Both 2023 fifth-round pick Sean Clifford and 2024 seventh-round pick Michael Pratt floundered. The latter isn't even on the team anymore.

General manager Brian Gutekunst recognized neither pick worked out and, instead of being stubborn and riding it out, opted to trade for Willis. The former Liberty product had fallen so far out of favor in Tennessee that he was listed as the third option at quarterback.

Willis stepped in and stepped up just three weeks into his tenure in Green Bay. When Jordan Love went down late in a Week 1 loss to Philadelphia, and it was Willis who got the nod to start in Weeks 2 and 3. He looked like someone who had been in head coach Matt LaFleur's system for years.

Willis led the Packers to back-to-back victories over the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans, and, while he wasn't asked to sling it 30 times a game, he looked like a natural in LaFleur's offense.

Following the Week 2 win over the Colts, LaFleur said:

Willis wasn't sacked, didn't turn the ball over, and on short notice had complete command of how to run the show.

This is the same quarterback who started zero games in 2023 and, in his first two NFL starts in 2022 combined, had just 11 completions on 26 pass attempts for 135 yards and no touchdowns.

LaFleur showed faith in Willis when he was tossed into the ring, and Willis delivered. Finding that isn't easy.

Gutekunst hit on the trade. LaFleur hit on the play-calling to put Willis in advantageous spots. Willis took full control and and was a maestro for the offense.

Willis showed he's more than just a game manager and that he can be a threat both through the air and with his legs. In two starts against the Colts and Titans, the fleet-footed Willis rushed 12 times for 114 yards and a touchdown.

Noting why Willis had the opportunity in the first place is another bullet point in favor of not entertaining a trade offer for the backup.

Love missed two full games this season and exited two others, against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears. He didn't return in either game.

In Week 1, Love suffered an MCL sprain. In Week 8, he pulled his groin. Against the Bears in the regular-season finale, Love sprained his elbow.

Three separate injuries in one season is nothing to gloss over. It's also entirely possible Love starts all 17 games next season.

Injuries are hard to try and forecast, but, unfortunate as it is, Love has showed that durability isn’t his strong suit. Having Willis as the option in 2025 in case injuries pop up for No. 10 again is critical.

When most teams are forced to send in a backup quarterback, the doom-and-gloom vibes instantly start circulating around the fanbase. Even the locker room can get rattled.

There was uncertainty with Willis on the outside looking in before his first start, and time with the Titans also didn't go swimmingly. But it took one half of his first start with Green Bay to realize the guy had a grasp on what LaFleur wanted to do — and he can play. When Willis started the game against Tennessee or stepped in for an injured Love in a close game against Jacksonville, there was plenty of confidence that Willis and the offense would find a way.

They did.

Stocking up draft picks can always be tempting. In a sense, it's like adding another lottery ticket to the stash. One more pick means one more chance to hit on a prospect, regardless of what round it is.

The issue with trading Willis is that, despite his brilliance in 2024, the Packers wouldn't get a first- or second- or even a third-round pick for him, in all likelihood. With that being the reality, why would you trade such a valuable insurance policy for a late-round draft pick?

Dealing Willis gets you another pick but leaves the Packers searching again for a suitable backup QB. They used a fifth-rounder on Clifford and it didn't work. They used a seventh-rounder on Pratt and that didn't work either.

Draft picks are nice. Not having to worry about depth concerns at the most important position in sports is nicer. Hanging on to Willis should be a no-brainer for Green Bay.