There was buzz before the 2022 NFL Draft that Willis would go in the top 10. He fell to the third round and flamed out after two years in Tennessee. The Packers shipped a measly seventh-round pick to the Titans on the eve of last season for Willis.
Since Green Bay’s mundane maneuver, Willis has blossomed into one of the league’s best backups, if not the top one. Willis has looked like a starter almost every time he’s filled in for Jordan Love, reviving his career under the tutelage of head coach Matt LaFleur and his staff in a place where quarterbacks thrive.
“It’s been really cool watching that and I’m really happy for him,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. “Every time we’ve needed him, he’s come through and done a nice job and given us a chance to win every game that he’s been in. We’ll see what the future holds for him, but I think he’s really helped himself out, for sure, with what he’s done the last two years here.”
Willis was thrust into the fire last year, just 19 days after arriving in Green Bay. Love sprained his MCL at the end of the season opener in Brazil and Willis started Green Bay’s next two games against the Indianapolis Colts and his former team, the Titans. Even with limited knowledge of the Packers’ offense, Willis excelled in consecutive wins, in part thanks to his own quick learning and on-field skill, but also because of how LaFleur and his staff designed the offense around a quarterback unable to run it all.
Willis only threw 33 times over two games as the Packers leaned on their ground game, but he made throws and created with his own legs when called upon. He did the same again in Week 8 last season after Love injured his groin against the Jacksonville Jaguars, hitting wide receiver Jayden Reed down the left sideline for 51 yards late in the fourth quarter to help set up a game-winning field goal. LaFleur said coaches were “pretty hard” on Willis when he first arrived because of his footwork, but that he’s done an “outstanding” job improving it over the last two seasons. A full offseason and second season in LaFleur’s offense, too, has turned Willis from a flash in the pan to someone who looks like a legitimate NFL starter.
“I just think the consistency, understanding where his eyes need to be in relation to what his feet are telling him, I think he’s put a ton of work in just trying to stay a little bit more balanced when he’s in the pocket,” LaFleur said. “One thing that you see is pretty common amongst many right-handed quarterbacks is they’ll tend to, when they’re throwing left, tend to get a little bit off-balance and that can have some accuracy issues along with that. I think he’s done a really good job in that regard, just staying in better body position, which leads to better balance, which leads to better accuracy.”
Willis may have arrived at 1265 Lombardi Ave. with the reputation of being a run-first quarterback and perhaps a run-only quarterback. He’s certainly made more plays this season with his legs against the New York Giants, Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens, but look at the first play of last Saturday’s game against the Ravens as proof of the belief in Willis’ arm, when he dropped the ball in a bucket to wide receiver Romeo Doubs amid contested coverage for 40 yards down the left sideline.
“He can make any throw on the planet,” LaFleur said. “I’d put him up against anybody.”
