The Green Bay Packers need a quarterback to back up Jordan Love now that Malik Willis signed a free agent deal with the Dolphins. The Indianapolis Colts and former first-round pick Anthony Richardson have agreed to try to find the former University of Florida star a new home. But does it make sense for the Packers to trade for Richardson before the start of training camp? The short answer is it depends on the price.
If they acquired Richardson, the Packers would be looking to replicate what they did with Willis. Willis was a third-round pick of the Titans. He started three games as a rookie but eventually lost the starting job to Will Levis. By training camp of 2024, Willis was third on the Tennessee quarterback depth chart.
Meanwhile, the Packers had two inexperienced candidates to be their backup quarterback behind Love. Through the preseason, neither rookie draft pick Michael Pratt nor second-year man Sean Clifford did enough to prove they were ready for action if anything happened to Love. So, GM Brian Gutekunst pulled the trigger on a trade for Willis in the week between the final preseason game and the first regular season game. The Packers sent a seventh-round pick back to Tennessee.
The deal turned out to be a steal for the Packers. When Love suffered an injury late in the 2024 season opener in Brazil, Willis was pressed into action and started in Weeks 2 and 3. He led the team to two consecutive wins and played well. Later in the season, he came off the bench and led the Packers to another win against the Jaguars.
Last season, Willis improved even more. He completed 85.7 percent of his passes, threw three touchdowns passes and no interceptions and had a quarterback rating of 145.5. He also ran for 123 yards and two more touchdowns.
The deal was mutually beneficial for Willis and the Packers. Willis improved his footwork and his ability to read defenses. He developed into a more complete quarterback under the tutelage of Matt LaFleur, who has a good reputation of working with and developing signal callers. After two successful seasons in Green Bay, Willis earned a big contract with the Dolphins and a chance to establish himself as a starting quarterback.
The Packers, meanwhile, got two seasons of very strong backup quarterback play. Ideally, your backup quarterback is someone who can help keep the team competitive and win a few games for you if your starter misses a few games due to injury. Willis did that and then some. In fact, the Packers would likely have missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons without Willis’ contributions.
Many observers see parallels between Willis and Richardson. Like Willis, Richardson has a strong arm and excellent athletic ability. Both are mobile quarterbacks who can buy time in the pocket or gain yards using their legs if plays break down. Richardson, like Willis, was also thrust into the NFL as a raw, unfinished product and needs to refine his game to become successful and salvage his pro career.
In three seasons with the Colts, Richardson has struggled. He has completed only 50.6 percent of his passes, well below the league average. He has thrown 11 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions and has a career quarterback rating of 62.5. His record as a starter is 8-7-0 in 15 starts. Richardson has gained 634 yards rushing in his three seasons with the Colts, averaging 5.5 yards per carry and running for 10 touchdowns.
Richardson has one season left on his rookie contract. His base salary would not be prohibitive for the Packers. Could he benefit from a season under LaFleur? Absolutely. He could improve his mechanics, become a more accurate quarterback, and restore his confidence. Would he be a potential upgrade over Desmond Ridder? He certainly would have a higher ceiling than Ridder does.
The Packers should offer the Colts the same deal they offered the Titans for Willis. Give Indy a seventh-round pick and see if they bite. If they don’t, the Packers could wait to see if the Colts release Richardson outright if they can’t trade him. Working with LaFleur and Love and getting a chance to play for a contending team would certainly be enticements for Richardson to sign with the Packers if he is ultimately released.
The addition of Richardson could be a win-win for player and team. But there is no need to overpay to get Richardson, especially since he has only one year left on his contract (Willis had two). We’ll see if Gutekunst is able to work out a deal, or if he can find a better backup elsewhere.