Backup quarterback is one of the most crucial and underappreciated positions in the NFL. The Green Bay Packers will have to rely on Malik Willis, their current backup, after losing starting quarterback Jordan Love to an MCL sprain.
After training camp, Green Bay acquired Willis, and with Love recuperating, the Packers are presently running their QB tandem of Willis and practice squad man Sean Clifford. In his three NFL seasons, Willis has made three starts and has finished 1-2 in those contests.
Clifford won’t be a probable choice for a Packers club that started the regular season with postseason aspirations if Willis doesn’t perform well enough to win.
One of the three feasible choices that Tyler Brooke of The 33rd Team suggested for Green Bay would make Chicago Bears supporters chuckle: free agent P.J. Walker.
Former Bears quarterback P.J. Walker may be the Green Bay Packers’ “stopgap.”
In March 2023, Walker, 29, signed a $4.15 million, two-year contract with the Bears, with nearly $2 million guaranteed. The plan was for Walker to cover for former quarterback Justin Fields, but Tyson Bagent outperformed Walker to be Fields’ backup.
After that, Walker was released by the Bears, and he ultimately played most of the 2023 season for the Cleveland Browns. Walker was also a member of the Seattle Seahawks during the 2024 off-season; however, he was cut on August 27.
“PJ Walker is one of the more intriguing free-agent quarterbacks on the market if the Packers want a more seasoned veteran with starting experience,” Brooke wrote.
“Walker’s box score figures don’t seem good. Six touchdowns and sixteen interceptions throughout his NFL career give him a lifetime passing rating of 60.0. He’s been irresponsible with the ball at times, but part of that is because of the lack of skill surrounding him. Walker might, however, be a backup quarterback who tries to create plays and win the Packers a game or two given the dearth of former starters on the free agent market.
Love probably won’t lose a lot of time because Green Bay hasn’t placed him on injured reserve. On September 7, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky said, “The Packers hope it is a three-to-four-week injury.” “Surgery is typically not necessary for MCL injuries.”
