The Green Bay Packers quarterback room is growing thinner by the day, as Jordan Love is set to undergo surgery on his thumb this week. Love is expected to be ready for Week 1, but a quick turnaround on what could be an invasive surgery has some Packers fans scratching their heads. Even more confusing is the current depth chart, which boasts Malik Willis, Sean Clifford and Taylor Elgersma. Willis, in particular, could receive some trade interest if Love is back and healthy by the end of the preseason.
That's a big if, of course. Willis has started NFL games in the not-so-distant past, playing for Love last season when he was injured. The Liberty product was selected by the Tennessee Titans as a project passer, but they did not view him as a better product than Will Levis, which should say a lot. Willis has thrived in Matt LaFleur's offense, which should be taken into account by any team interested in trading for him. LaFleur is an expert play-caller, and not every offensive coordinator will make as many caveats as the Packers have when forced into an uncomfortable situation without Love.
Packers star thinks Malik Willis could be a QB1 somewhere else
Packers running back Josh Jacobs went out on a limb for Willis, saying the team has the utmost confidence in him as the starting QB if necessary.
"If you ask me, there's no way this guy shouldn't be a 32-team starter somewhere," Jacobs said via Dominique Yates of the [Milwaukee] Journal Sentinel. "That's just my opinion, the way that I see him on a day-to-day basis. His attributes, the way he uses his mind, stuff like that—he's a really good football player."
If Jacobs is correct, and Love is able to return with plenty of time to prepare for the regular season, then Brian Gutekunst should keep his ear to the ground. There are only 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL, and some of them do not deserve that title. If Jacobs is correct in his assessment, then Willis could fetch a decent return for Gutekunst and the Packers, especially if another starting quarterback goes down.
Should the Packers trade Malik Willis?
This is a loaded question, but there is a major difference between 'could' and 'should'. Yes, the Packers could trade Willis if Love comes back, and bank on what's left of their QB depth chart. However, they should not. Willis is a solid fit in their system and isn't looking to be dealt anywhere at this juncture. He is still a young player with a lot to prove.
Not to mention, the Packers quarterbacks behind Willis leave a lot to be desired. Clifford has looked downright ugly in preseason action and it's pretty clear the coaching staff does not trust him to run the offense. Elgersma could be a steal, but he's also never played an NFL game before and is best-suited for the practice squad. There's a reason he's competing with Clifford for QB3, and not Willis.
Trading Willis could bank the Packers another draft pick, but at what cost?