The Green Bay Packers are heading into an important offseason after the way 2025 ended. A 9-3-1 start deteriorated into a five-game losing streak and with Micah Parsons, Tucker Kraft and others expected to return to full health, they should contend again in 2026 as long as they fill their holes in free agency and the draft.
That task will be difficult for newly-extended general manager Brian Gutekunst after sending two draft picks as part of a blockbuster trade to acquire Parsons. But the needs are more than just the obvious as the Packers will be looking for a new backup quarterback with Malik Willis expected to depart in free agency.
On Monday, the Packers watched a potential option go elsewhere as former New Orleans Saints quarterback Jake Haener agreed to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. While Haener’s track record is uninspiring, so is the current backup quarterback situation in Green Bay, which could have used the extra arm to create competition going into the offseason program.
Packers Backup QB Situation Major Offseason Storyline Ahead of Malik Willis’s Departure
The Packers currently have Jordan Love as their starter, but the situation behind him is a free for all. Desmond Ridder is the current favorite to be the backup to Love next season but his previous track record with the Atlanta Falcons doesn’t make that a sure thing. Kyle McCord also signed a future deal with the Packers last month but didn’t have a great performance with the Philadelphia Eagles last preseason and has yet to appear in an NFL game.
If we’re speaking the truth, Haener wouldn’t have done much than add an extra arm to the competition. The Fresno State product appeared in eight games and started one game for the Saints during the 2024 season but the appearances didn’t go well as he completed 18-of-39 passes for 226 yards, a touchdown and an interception. His tenure also included a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy in 2023 and a release before the start of last season.
Even then, the Packers have to know they’ll need an adequate insurance plan if Love gets hurt. The 27-year-old has missed time in each of the past two seasons due to injury including two games at the end of last season after suffering a concussion in a Week 16 loss to the Chicago Bears. Although Willis played well in his absence, the Packers can’t afford a drop off due to the competitive nature of the NFC North, where one game could be the difference between winning the division and being a fringe playoff team.
In all likelihood, this could be something that’s addressed when free agency begins in March or in April’s draft. But at this point, the Packers would be wise to broaden the talent pool to draw from, making even a player like Haener worth a look.
