"Pre-draft picture" is a position-by-position look at the Packers' roster heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. The series begins with the quarterbacks.
GREEN BAY – With seconds left in the Packers' regular-season opener in Brazil, Jordan Love encountered adversity that would define his second season as Green Bay's starting quarterback.
Love sprained his medial collateral ligament in the final moments of a 34-29 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, a knee injury that would sideline him for two games and leave lingering aftereffects through the first half of the 2024 campaign.
It was a challenging obstacle out of the blocks for Love, one of only four NFL quarterbacks to start every game and not once appear on his team's injury report in 2023.
Despite the early setback, Love demonstrated grit and toughness while leading Green Bay to an 11-win regular season and a second consecutive playoff appearance.
A season that started with Love signing a long-term contract extension in training camp saw the 6-foot-4, 219-pound quarterback emerge as one of the league's most explosive passers.
Love tied for sixth in the league in completions of 25-plus yards (33) while averaging 12.65 yards per completion, good for fourth in the NFL and the highest mark by a Green Bay QB since Aaron Rodgers' 12.85-yard average during his MVP season in 2014.
All told, the 26-year-old quarterback completed 268 of 425 passes (63.1%) for 3,389 yards, 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Turnovers were an issue for Love and the offense, including a three-interception day in Green Bay's 22-10 loss to the Eagles in the NFC Wild Card playoff, but the Packers continued to efficiently find the end zone behind their franchise QB.
Over the last two years, Love and Detroit's Jared Goff are the only two NFL quarterbacks to throw at least 25 touchdowns and register a passer rating of 95.0-plus in consecutive seasons.
Additionally, only MVP finalist Lamar Jackson had more completions of 40-plus yards (14) than Love (12). Now, the Packers aim to build on the big plays in Love's third season as QB1.
He should start with a clean slate after Head Coach Matt LaFleur confirmed at the NFL Annual Meeting that Love didn’t require any offseason procedures on his knee.
As far as QB2 is concerned, General Manager Brian Gutekunst made the bold decision to release recent draft picks Sean Clifford (2023 fifth-rounder) and Michael Pratt (2024 seventh-rounder) at the end of training camp and acquire Malik Willis from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a seventh-round pick.
It turned out to be a season-altering investment, as Willis made two critical starts in place of an injured Love during his first month on the job in Green Bay.
Willis showcased not only the arm talent that helped make him a third-round pick in 2022 but also poise in completing 25 of 33 passes for 324 yards and two TDs (126.3 pass rating) in victories over the Indianapolis Colts and the Titans, his former team.
He also came off the bench to replace an injured Love twice, engineering a last-second victory at Jacksonville in Week 8 and rallying the Packers from behind against the Bears in Week 18, though Green Bay ultimately lost.
Willis finished the season with a passer rating of 124.8, the highest single-season mark in NFL history among quarterbacks with at least 50 passing attempts. He also rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown on 20 attempts (6.9 yards per carry).
After witnessing Willis' late-notice heroics, LaFleur is excited to work with him for a full offseason. The feeling is mutual as this marks the first time in the 25-year-old quarterback's career that Willis will play back-to-back seasons in the same scheme with the same offensive coordinator (Adam Stenavich).
While Clifford came up short in his bid for the 53, the 2023 fifth-round pick returned on the Packers' practice squad. With Love inactive, he was elevated to back up Willis during his Week 2-3 starts in place of Love.
Green Bay signed Clifford to the active roster for its wild-card playoff game, enabling him to dress as an emergency third quarterback.
The Packers are carrying only their three returning QBs, but Gutekunst remains open to the idea of adding a fourth through the draft or undrafted free agency. If Green Bay uses a pick on the position, it would be the first time since 1999 the Packers drafted a quarterback three years in a row.
