The Packers have already shown they know how to turn a quarterback castoff into something useful, and that track record makes Will Levis hard to ignore now that he’s sliding down the depth chart in Tennessee.
Green Bay took a shot on Malik Willis after his failed run with the Titans, and the move paid off enough that the former backup eventually landed his own starting role in Miami. That success is part of why the Packers then added veteran Tyrod Taylor, though the emergency quarterback competition has been described as underwhelming. With that in mind, it makes sense for Green Bay to keep following the same road.
Levis is the latest Tennessee quarterback to find himself on shaky ground after Cam Ward took over as the starter. His reaction to that demotion was blunt, and NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reported the following quote from Levis:
"There are not 32 quarterbacks in this league better than me. … I know I’ve put the tape out there already that I’m a dang good quarterback in this league."
Will Levis
That comment lands two ways. On one hand, the lack of consistent high-end tape makes it tough to argue he should be locked into a starting job. On the other, the talent that has shown up on film is real, even if the results haven’t matched the flashes.
That’s exactly why Green Bay should at least explore a move. Levis fits the same general kind of swing the Packers already took with Willis: a quarterback with traits worth betting on, even if the original team has moved on. Taylor can still stay in place as the safety net behind Jordan Love, giving the Packers a veteran floor if anything happens to Love.
There’s also another reason this is worth watching. Tennessee brought in Mitch Trubisky, an experienced starter and veteran backup, which makes Levis’ future look uncertain. He could be dealt or cut over the next month, and Green Bay has already been in this position before with the Titans as the source.
Levis wouldn’t be coming to Green Bay with any realistic path to starting, but the Packers could still use him in short-yardage situations and keep developing him as a possible long-term backup or even a future trade chip.
At the end of the day, there doesn’t appear to be much downside for Green Bay if it decides to make the move and add another quarterback with upside to the room.
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