Colts Get Further Clarity On Packers' QB Situation Ahead of Sunday

The Green Bay Packers downgraded quarterback Jordan Love to doubtful on Saturday ahead of Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Sep 6, 2024; Sao Paulo, BRA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) drops to throw during the second half against the Philadelphia Eagles at Neo Quimica Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It's only the second week of the 2024 regular season, but the Indianapolis Colts defense could use a break.

They are fresh off allowing 417 yards of offense (213 rushing) in a loss to the Houston Texans and have ruled out starting strong safety Julian Blackmon (shoulder) while fellow starters defensive end Kwity Paye (hamstring) and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (back) are questionable, and starting cornerback JuJu Brents (knee) was placed on Injured Reserve this week.

Enter the relief.

The Colts take on the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday, and they're all but certain to be facing backup quarterback Malik Willis rather than star Jordan Love.

Green Bay downgraded Love's status to doubtful on Saturday after listing him as questionable on Friday. He suffered a sprained MCL (knee) in last week's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, which knocked him out of the game, and he did not practice at all this week.

It felt obvious that Love — who signed a four-year, $220 million extension this offseason — would not be playing, but perhaps the Packers were either still holding out hope or attempting to keep the Colts guessing. Regardless, the Colts have been preparing for Willis all week.

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“Right now we're studying Malik and getting prepared for him – kind of the style when he did play," Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley told reporters on Tuesday. "It's tough, right? Like you don't know exactly, are they going to utilize him – some of the skillset that he had from college? Are they going to have him be the quarterback and then say, ‘Hey, this is our system. Let's go operate it, but we may throw a few wrinkles or two in there.’

"So, I think we're looking at him now, just the style of play, the athleticism that he has and the styles of throw that he makes and what he's good at," Bradley continued. "Then we're getting back to really the scheme that Green Bay is running.”

Willis (6'1", 225, 25 years old) was a third-round pick (No. 86 overall) by the Tennessee Titans in the 2022 NFL Draft. He'd been stuck in development mode for the last couple of years before being traded to the Packers this summer for a 2025 seventh-round pick.

Willis has a 1-2 record as a starter in the NFL and has appeared in 11 total games. He's gone 35-of-67 passing (52.2%) for 350 yards (5.3 YPA), no touchdowns, and 3 interceptions for a passer rating of 49.4. He's also run the ball 32 times for 144 yards (4.5 avg.) and a touchdown. Willis has also fumbled 4 times (3 lost).

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