GREEN BAY – With Jordan Love continuing to rehab his injured knee, Malik Willis was once again charged with leading the Packers' offense during Thursday's non-padded practice.
If Love can't go and Willis is called on to start in Sunday's home opener against Indianapolis, Green Bay is confident its recently acquired backup quarterback can get the job done.
At the same time, the team's message all week has centered around the notion that it won't all be on Willis. There's an entire roster of offensive players ready to help shoulder the load.
"I love Malik. I'm glad he's here," receiver Romeo Doubs said. "With him being here, playing ball with us, for us, I really think our best foot forward is just being there for him and just making sure he knows we got his back."
Willis, acquired in a trade with Tennessee on Aug. 26, has admittedly been in “overdrive” while learning the nuances of the Packers' playbook over the past two weeks.
The former third-round pick has made steady progress, though, evidenced by Green Bay feeling comfortable enough with Willis' grasp of the playbook to have him serve as the primary backup to Love against Philadelphia last Friday in Brazil.
As unusual as a potential 19-day swing from walking in the building to leading the Packers onto Lambeau Field may be, Willis has quickly been earning the respect of his new teammates and coaches in the classroom and on the field.
"I kind of dapped him up right away and hit the ground running," receiver Christian Watson said. "First day out at practice this week, when you're out there in flying bullets, you kind of forget you maybe just met this man yesterday or two weeks ago."
Willis had two connections to Green Bay's roster – former Titans kicker Brayden Narveson and high school teammate Xavier McKinney – but the Packers' receiving corps was relatively familiar with the former Liberty (Va.) standout.
Watson and Doubs attended the 2022 Senior Bowl with Willis, while Dontayvion Wicks played college football just 45 minutes away from his new quarterback at the University of Virginia. He and Willis even shared a few mutual friends.
"As a player, I knew he was nice," Wicks said. "We were watching them; knew they were winning. The quarterback's always the captain of the team. He was the one really pushing them to be a good team."
Head Coach Matt LaFleur told reporters after Thursday's practice that Love is doing "everything he can to be out there" against the Colts, remaining engaged with the gameplan while coaching up Willis and practice-squad QB Sean Clifford.
If it's Willis, the 25-year-old possesses the athletic ability and skill set to succeed as a spot starter. He also has numerous complementary playmakers available, including receiver Jayden Reed and All-Pro running back Josh Jacobs.
Jacobs led a 163-yard day on the ground for the Packers in Brazil, while Reed registered a career-high 171 total yards and two touchdowns on just five touches against the Eagles.
Like the receivers often do with Love, Reed said the wideouts spent extra time reviewing film with Willis this week in preparation for a potential start on Sunday.
"That's very important, being on the same page with the guys you're throwing to," Reed said. "Just watching the tape for 30 minutes, watching our opponent so we're on the same page from that standpoint. That's always good because we did that a lot last year with '10.'"
There is a certain wait-and-see element to this matchup with the Colts beyond just the uncertainty surrounding Love. Topping the list is how Indianapolis will respond after allowing a league-high 213 rushing yards in a 29-27 loss to Houston in Week 1.
The Colts could focus their efforts on battening down the hatches against the run, especially facing a dual-threat QB like Willis who's making his first start with a new team.
If that's how Indianapolis chooses to play it, offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich says the Packers must be ready to take what the defense is giving them.
"As the game goes, you have to have your answers for whatever they're going to try and do," Stenavich said. "I'm not going to be stubborn and pound my head against the wall. If they're giving us things in the pass game, we've got to be able to take it and we've got to take advantage of it."
The Packers feel Willis is capable of counterattacking through the air if that's what the game dictates. A big reason General Manager Brian Gutekunst made a push to acquire Willis after training camp was the strides he's made as a pocket passer.
Taking a bulk of the first-team snaps this week, Willis has already been turning preparation into production. To hear receiver Watson tell it, Willis was flashing his arm talent during Thursday's practice on Clarke Hinkle Field.
"I think Rome probably had 400 yards today on deep shots," Watson said. "So, if we can carry that over to Sunday, it'll be pretty good."
While Watson's comments were slightly in jest, he praised Willis for his cool demeanor – a trait he shares with Love. As the Packers look to clean up the mistakes that hampered them in Brazil, each offensive player is prepared to do his 1/11th to help Willis.
"We have really good wideouts who can make a lot of plays," Stenavich said. "I think as Malik gets more familiar with these guys as the week progresses, he's building that repertoire and that camaraderie with them that he can trust those guys. He trusts those guys to go out there and make plays."
