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Malik Willis: My focus is helping the Packers win, not proving I can start elsewhere

Packers backup quarterback Malik Willis started and won two games after Jordan Love got injured in the season opener, and then came off the bench and helped the Packers win another game on Sunday after Love went down. But Willis is pumping the brakes on any talk that he is auditioning to be a starting quarterback elsewhere in 2025.

Asked if he has thought about whether his success in Green Bay this year might lead the Packers to trade him to a team that will make him its starter next year, Willis says that’s not on his mind.

“Not really. We’ve still got a lot of games left in this season. We’ve got a game this week against a really good opponent. I feel like that’s who we’ve got to focus on right now,” Willis said.

Asked what he is hoping comes out of this year’s success, Willis said it’s only about helping this year’s Packers win.

“I’m just enjoying the ride and taking it one game at a time, one week at a time, one day at a time. That’s it,” Willis said.

That’s the ideal attitude for a backup quarterback. And while the Packers are committed to Love for the long haul, Willis’s words and his actions this year might convince some other team that Willis deserves a chance to start.