Pack will not put Love on IR; will begin Willis at QB

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers don’t plan to place quarterback Jordan Love on injured reserve, which implies they suppose the restoration from his left knee harm can be on the shorter finish of the timeline. Within the meantime, they are going to put together the just lately acquired Malik Willis to be their beginning quarterback on Sunday towards the Indianapolis Colts.

Inexperienced Bay traded a seventh-round draft decide to the Tennessee Titans for Willis the day earlier than last roster cuts final month. If he begins Sunday’s dwelling opener at Lambeau Discipline, he’ll accomplish that simply 20 days after he joined the Packers.

Willis served because the backup in Friday’s season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil and took the ultimate two snaps — an incompletion and a sack — after Love sustained a sprained MCL in his left knee with 6 seconds left within the 34-29 loss.

The one different quarterback at the moment with the workforce is Sean Clifford, who served as Love’s backup final season however is now on the apply squad. The Packers can use a game-day elevation to activate Clifford for the sport with out including him to the 53-man roster.

“Yeah, if Jordan’s not cleared, then we’ll begin Malik and Sean would be the backup,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur stated Monday.

“Why Malik over Sean? As a result of Malik’s on the roster and he is our No. 2 quarterback and that is the best way we will roll.”

LaFleur additionally stated the Packers don’t have any plans to signal a veteran quarterback from the skin.

Willis has made three profession NFL begins — all in 2022 as a rookie third-round decide — and the Titans went 1-2 in these video games. Within the lone victory, which came to visit the Houston Texans, Willis threw simply 10 passes, finishing six for 55 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. Each of the Titans’ touchdowns within the 17-10 win got here from operating again Derrick Henry.

In his three begins in 2022, he accomplished 25 of 49 passes for 234 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. He didn’t attain the 100-yard passing mark in any of these video games. He rushed 20 occasions for 95 yards and a landing in his three begins mixed.

“I feel he is put quite a lot of effort and time into this factor,” LaFleur stated of Willis’ method since he joined the workforce. “He is grinded, he is realized the terminology and is ready to spit out the playcalls, and we have confidence in him. I feel if he is given a full week of preparation, a full week of apply, I’ve received confidence he’ll go on the market and carry out at a excessive stage.”

Whereas LaFleur did not technically rule Love out for this week, it is unlikely Love could be able to go towards the Colts. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Saturday that the timeline for Love’s return is within the three-to-four week vary. After the Colts’ recreation, the Packers play at Willis’ outdated workforce in Tennessee and host the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 29. If Love misses all of these video games, then maybe he might return for the Oct. 6 recreation on the Los Angeles Rams. Gamers who go on injured reserve need to miss 4 video games.

“If he will get cleared, we’ll give him each alternative like we at all times will,” LaFleur stated. “I do know he is doing all the pieces in his energy. I do know he is spending quite a lot of time attempting to get again as quickly as attainable. However definitely we’re not going to place him ready the place if he cannot defend himself that he’d go on the market.”

Love’s harm got here in his first regular-season look after he signed his four-year, $220 million contract extension early in coaching camp. He didn’t communicate to reporters after the sport in Brazil, and gamers have been off for the reason that workforce returned from that recreation on Saturday.

“We’ll by no means put him ready to mortgage the quick time period for the longer term,” LaFleur stated. “You realize what I am saying? If he cannot defend himself, we’d by no means do this to him or our soccer workforce.”