The Green Bay Packers have been one of the few teams in the NFL that have been consistently viewed as Super Bowl contenders.
They demolished the Dallas Cowboys in a playoff game back in 2023 before losing a nail biter in the Divisional Round to the San Francisco 49ers, who eventually became NFC Champions.
Quarterback Jordan Love played exceptional against Dallas, so people rightfully expected them to take another step, and the pressure only escalated after Green Bay traded for All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons before the start of the season.
The perennial Pro Bowler displayed individual excellence, but the Packers finished just 9-7-1 after an inconsistent season from Love.
To make matters worse, he has been dealing with a concussion, which kept him out of his team’s final two games.
Backup quarterback Malik Willis also got injured against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 17, so Green Bay was forced to start the inexperienced Clayton Tune against the Minnesota Vikings.
It was a disaster to say the least, as Tune barely completed more than 50% of his passes and totaled just 34 yards through the air.
This prompted the Packers to release him earlier in the week, signing veteran quarterback Desmond Ridder in his place to beef up the position group with all the injuries they are dealing with.
Packers have signed QB Desmond Ridder to their active roster from their practice squad, signed WR Julian Hicks, WR Kisean Johnson and TE Messiah Swinson to their practice squad, and released QB Clayton Tune.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 6, 2026
It’s hard to imagine a scenario where Ridder would actually have to step into a playoff game, but it’s possible with Love and Willis’ injuries.
On the other hand, this is a good opportunity for Green Bay to groom another backup quarterback as their current one could be on the move this offseason for more money or a bigger role.
They have had a ton of success developing quarterbacks over the years, and it would really help if they can do the same with Ridder.
This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.
