With Malik Willis signing with the Miami Dolphins early in free agency, the Green Bay Packers are still without a prominent backup quarterback to Jordan Love. The team was reportedly interested in Kirk Cousins before the 37-year-old signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, leaving it firmly behind as the 2026 season approaches.
The Packers' interest in Cousins was reported by Dianna Russini of ‘The Athletic,' who also identified the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams as those eyeing Cousins. Green Bay was not likely in a position to match the $20 million guaranteed offer Cousins signed with the Raiders.
The Packers still have Desmond Ridder and Kyle McCord on their roster, but seemingly view neither as a serviceable option. Ridder did not see the field throughout the 2025 season, while McCord, the NCAA passing yard leader in 2024, has yet to make his NFL debut.
As confident as the team remains in Love, durability has never been his strong suit. The 27-year-old has missed four games in the last two seasons, not including those he left early due to various concerns.
Willis, who was previously labeled a bust after his failed stint with the Tennessee Titans, was impressive in Love's stead, ending the 2025 season with 422 passing yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions, 123 rushing yards, and two rushing scores. He accumulated nine total touchdowns to just one turnover in two years with the team behind Love.
Backup quarterback has been one of Green Bay's biggest concerns all offseason, especially once it officially lost Willis. While Cousins seemed to be the team's next best option, the Packers are now poised to potentially find their answer in the 2026 NFL Draft.
However, with journeyman Tyrod Taylor still on the market, the team could find its answer hidden in plain sight.
Packers need to sign Tyrod Taylor after missing Kirk Cousins
Given the Packers' interest in Kirk Cousins, they appear intent on having a veteran play behind Jordan Love rather than a rookie coming out of the 2026 NFL Draft. Green Bay has several viable options to scratch that itch — Russell Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cooper Rush and Teddy Bridgewater are still available — but it would be best suited coming to terms with Taylor.
The 36-year-old Taylor is not a game-changing option by any means, but he has never been a liability at any of his recent stops. The well-traveled veteran has split the last four seasons between two adjacent organizations, the New York Giants and New York Jets, and arguably elevated each team whenever his number was called.
Despite his 37th birthday approaching in August, Taylor has maintained most of the quick decision-making and short-term burst that he built his career on coming out of Virginia Tech. Those skills, paired with his underrated arm strength and deep-ball accuracy, are what allowed Taylor to keep the Giants and Jets' offenses running in lieu of Daniel Jones and Justin Fields, respectively.
A lot of what Taylor brings to the table is what makes Love and Willis dangerous in the pocket. With Willis, the Packers had a backup quarterback with a similar build and skill set to Love, which they need to emulate in 2026. Nobody fits that bill better than Taylor.
Green Bay's long-term outlook might lean toward the NFL Draft, but Taylor has consistently been among the league's best backup signal-callers. He will not remain on the market for much longer, and with the Packers being one of the most quarterback-needy teams, the pairing makes too much sense to ignore.
