While Jordan Love has not yet officially been ruled out for Sunday’s matchup with the Colts, the Packers are preparing for backup Malik Willis to make his first start for the club in Week 2.
Willis just joined Green Bay on Aug. 26 when Tennessee traded him for a 2025 seventh-round pick. On Thursday, receiver Christian Watson told reporters that the adjustment to Willis this week has been “smooth so far.”
“I think there have been highs and lows throughout practice, but that’s what it’s for,” Watson said. “We’re definitely in a little expedited process, getting everybody up to speed. But I feel like it’s looked really good. We’re trying to build that confidence for him — confidence in our offense — and liking where it’s at right now.
"[I]t’s really just kind of an experience thing with him, timing thing. Just him getting a feel for us out there. Obviously haven’t gotten a lot of reps, so every rep we get right now through practice is really important. But it’s definitely been trending pretty positive for us. We made a lot of plays out there today, so it’s looking good.”
Watson, who caught three passes for 13 yards with a touchdown in last Friday’s loss to Philadelphia, noted that with the game plan installed, Willis and the receivers can hone in on the details to make Sunday feel as comfortable as possible for the new QB.
“I think the better we can be individually, on the perimeter specifically, the easier it’ll be for him,” Watson said. “[I]n his eyes, if we’re where we need to be and we’re doing what we’re supposed to do, it’s going to make his job a lot easier. So, our job is to make it easy for the quarterback every week and this week will specifically be a little bit more so, obviously not having as much built up reps with Malik as we do with ’10’ [Love].”