The Packers got their first real look at what life might look like without Malik Willis, and it was a reminder that backup quarterback comfort is hard to replace.
Green Bay opened the preseason with a 28-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and with Jordan Love playing just one series, Tyrod Taylor and Kyle McCord handled most of the work. The results were uneven at best.
Taylor, the veteran expected to provide stability, finished 4-of-8 for 21 yards on just eight pass attempts. McCord, signed to a futures deal in January and viewed as the QB3, looked more composed and produced the better stat line: 12 completions on 16 attempts for 102 yards.
Even so, the night never really turned into a clean showcase for either player. Taylor spent much of his time under pressure behind an offensive line that struggled to hold up, and he never found much rhythm. He missed a couple throws and couldn’t get Green Bay moving with any consistency.
McCord brought a little more life to the offense, but most of his production came against the Steelers’ deeper reserves. He also took a costly sack on third down that knocked the Packers out of field goal range, and the offense only got back there a couple more times after that.
That’s the uncomfortable part for Green Bay. For the last two seasons, Willis gave the Packers something rare: a backup who could actually step in and win games when Love was out. He did it in both 2024 and 2025, and his departure to the Miami Dolphins in free agency this offseason leaves the team with a very different feel behind its starter.
Willis’ rise in Green Bay also served as a reminder that backup quarterback success can come from unexpected places. The Packers landed him from the Tennessee Titans for just a seventh-round pick, and with coaching and development, he quickly showed more than most people expected. Now he’s a highly paid starter elsewhere, and the Packers are back to sorting through less proven options.
Taylor has the kind of résumé that suggests reliability, and McCord has shown enough flashes to keep the door open for development under Matt LaFleur. But after one preseason game, it’s clear the margin for error is thinner than it used to be.
And with Love having been dinged up over the past two years, that matters. The Packers were able to survive those stretches before. They may have a harder time doing it now.
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