The Green Bay Packers already have arguably a top-10 quarterback in Jordan Love, but that hasn’t stopped the flow of suggestions as to how the franchise should replace his departed former backup Malik Willis, who will presumably start for the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 this September.
ESPN’s Ben Solak named the Packers the No. 1 overall fit for controversial collegiate quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who has declared for the supplemental draft in July and is likely going to end up somewhere in the league for between a first- and third-round draft pick inside of the next five-six weeks.
Wynston Wilcox of FanSided authored a different proposal on Saturday, June 20 involving a trade between Green Bay and the Indianapolis Colts for fourth-year signal-caller Anthony Richardson, who has been looking for a deal to get out of the AFC South since the NFL combine in late February.
Green Bay Perfect Place for Anthony Richardson to Get Fresh Start
GettyQuarterback Anthony Richardson of the Indianapolis Colts.
Wilcox’s proposal would see the Packers send the Colts a fourth-round pick in 2027 as well as a seventh-rounder the following season in return for the final year of Richardson’s $34 million contract, which would actually run Green Bay less than $5.4 million in 2026.
Thus, in terms of draft capital and salary for the upcoming campaign, Richardson is likely to prove considerably cheaper than Sorsby on both fronts.
“The Indianapolis Colts have to move on from Anthony Richardson sooner rather than later. It doesn’t make sense for the Colts to keep him if he isn’t going to play,” Wilcox wrote. “A coach like Matt LaFleur would help him truly reach his full potential. Green Bay also needs a backup quarterback with Malik Willis’ departure.”
Richardson has athleticism that can’t be taught. However, his time in Indy is clearly through and the 24-year-old needs someplace he can develop absent immediate pressure. Green Bay, behind Love and under LaFleur, is somewhere Richardson can do that.
And in a year or two, assuming everything is still going well with Love, the Packers can potentially move Richardson to a new team where he can compete for a starting job and get a solid draft asset back in return — while also protecting against any injuries Love might sustain over the next season or two.
Brendan Sorsby Likely too Expensive for Packers
GettyFormer Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby.
Richardson is definitely available, but if Green Bay decides it doesn’t want to go that route, Sorsby is also potentially a viable option.
The issue is that analysts and executives around the league have noted that Sorsby most likely has second-round value. And any team desperate enough might drop a first-round bid to guarantee itself a shot at a franchise quarterback.
Solak’s argument for Sorsby to Green Bay relies heavily on how much of Willis he sees in Sorsby.
“The Packers’ current QB2 is Tyrod Taylor, whom they signed after the 2026 draft. I’d wager they wanted to snag a quarterback in that draft, but the board never fell their way,” Solak wrote. “The QB3 is Kyle McCord, who doesn’t at all fit the mold of a Packers backup quarterback; they’ve typically prioritized athletes, such as Willis and Taylor, at that spot.”
The most pertinent question is whether the Packers would be willing to sacrifice a second-round pick for a backup QB in a loaded 2027 draft when they already traded away their first-rounder as part of the Micah Parsons deal? The answer is likely no, which renders Richardson a better play as he also fits the athletic mold Solak referenced.
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