One of the big question marks for the Green Bay Packers during the 2026 offseason has been with their backup quarterback situation.
As expected, Malik Willis left during free agency to get a shot at a starting role, signing three-year, $67.5 million contract with the Miami Dolphins. Willis spent the past two years with the Packers, and came up big for them multiple times in relief of starter Jordan Love.
Green Bay Packers Sign Veteran Tyrod Taylor to Be New No. 2 QB
According to a report from NFL insider Tom Pelissero, Taylor is coming to Green Bay to back up Love.
A new No. 2 in Green Bay.
Speculation that the Packers could acquire Taylor has picked up steam recently, and now it is officially happening. Taylor, age 36, is entering his 16 NFL season after entering the league as a sixth-round draft pick with the Baltimore Ravens in 2011.
Since then he has also played for the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans, New York Giants, and New York Jets. Taylor was apart of the Ravens’ 2012 Super Bowl winning team as Joe Flacco’s backup.
Taylor got his first shot at being a starting QB with the Bills in 2015. That was the best season of his career, recording 3,035 passing yards and 20 touchdowns, as well as 568 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.
Taylor posted a solid 22-20 record as Buffalo’s starter, but was traded to the Browns in 2018. An early injury cost him the starting role to Baker Mayfield. A similar occurrence happened in 2020 with the Chargers, as Taylor was injured in Week 2 and replaced by Justin Herbert, who kept the starting job.
Taylor has made some spot-starts for the Texans, Giants, and Jets since then, but has primarily been in a backup role. He has a 29-31-1 record as a starter during his career, throwing for 13,033 yards, 73 touchdowns, and 34 interceptions. Taylor also has rushed for 2,424 yards and 20 touchdowns.
In 2025 Taylor started four games for the Jets, winning one. He threw for five touchdowns and five interceptions, also posting 143 rushing yards and one touchdown. Although he’s getting up there in age, Taylor is still an effective scrambler and runner. He may not be as explosive as Willis, but brings a lot more experience to the table.
Examining Other Packers’ Backup QBs
GettyPackers QB Kyle McCord
Green Bay signed undrafted free agent Kyron Drones last week, who is also a dual-threat QB like Taylor. Drones had a solid three-year stretch at Virginia Tech, throwing for 5,785 yards and 45 touchdowns, as well as 1,847 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
Also on the roster is second-year man Kyle McCord, who was a sixth-round draft pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025. He spent all of last season on the Eagles’ practice squad, then was signed by the Packers in late January.
At 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, McCord is an aggressive passer who looks to push the ball down field. McCord and Drones are opposite stylistically, and will compete for the No. 3 QB job behind Love and Taylor. The Packers are releasing veteran Desmond Ridder, who they signed to their practice squad late last season.
Packers Solve Backup QB Situation by Signing Long-Tenured Veteran