Defensive line, cornerback, and offensive line are the three main roster groups that are going to get the most attention this offseason for the Green Bay Packers. It’s not a stretch to say that all three have been big bones of contention for Packers fans throughout 2025, and if the team hopes to take the next step, they will need to be significantly improved. Next on that list is backup quarterback. While Green Bay is coming off two seasons with arguably the best backup quarterback in the league in Malik Willis, he is a free agent and is likely going to be handed a sizable contract by another team. Thanks for the memories, Malik, and good luck in Miami! (Probably).

Since Jordan Love became the starter back in 2023, he’s missed a handful of games due to various ailments such as knee, groin, and concussion issues, making his backup a position the team cannot just ignore. The years of rolling out the Graham Harrells and Joe Callahans of the world are not going to cut it when your quarterback has missed games in two out of his three years as the starter. You need a player that legitimately gives you a chance to win and can keep you afloat if Jordan needs to miss a few weeks. The Packers saw that ability in Willis, the former failed third-round pick of the Tennessee Titans, when they traded a seventh-round pick for him. Less than two years later, after some seasoning with Matt LaFleur, he’s poised to be one of the hottest free agents on the market.

Perhaps the Packers uncovered another gem off the street in Desmond Ridder. Could Matt LaFleur help Ridder follow in Willis’ footsteps and be the next Packers backup success story? Up until the Packers signed former third-round pick Desmond Ridder on New Year’s Eve, I was resigned to the fact that the Packers were going to address this via the draft. They are a draft-and-develop team after all. I thought they would take a late-round prospect and hope LaFleur could coach him up enough that eventually a serviceable backup materialized, but Ridder could be a more intriguing option. When the Packers signed Ridder to the active roster before their Wild Card game against the Bears, that deal included the 2026 season, giving the Packers the opportunity to further develop him. He is set to make $1.145 million if he sticks throughout 2026, which is not a bad deal for Green Bay if he works out.

Ridder, who is still just 26, was originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round, pick 74 overall, of the 2022 NFL Draft (just a few picks before the Titans selected Willis, coincidentally). Ridder quickly worked his way into a starting role with Arthur Smith’s Falcons and played in 19 games with 17 starts between 2022–2023 with mostly subpar results. He did beat the Packers in Week 2 of the 2023 season when Green Bay visited Atlanta, one of the highlights of his Falcons tenure. Once a new regime came into Atlanta and they signed Kirk Cousins, Ridder was traded to the Arizona Cardinals (where new DC Jonathan Gannon was head coach) and ended up losing the backup quarterback battle to Clayton Tune, of all people, and was later released at the end of training camp. 

Since then, he has bounced around between the Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, and Cincinnati Bengals. While he never saw regular-season action with the Vikings or Bengals, he did see the field with the Raiders, appearing in six games and starting one. His total career stats across 25 appearances are 374-for-588 passing (63.6% completion percentage), 4,002 yards, and 16 touchdowns compared to 14 interceptions. He also registered 293 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 78 carries.

The talent is certainly there for Ridder. He was twice voted AAC Offensive Player of the Year while at Cincinnati and even led the Bearcats to the College Football Playoff. In very similar fashion to Willis, he has the requisite arm strength and arm talent to play the position. Go back and watch some of the throws he made during his career, especially while in the preseason with the Bengals. Making the throws is not his issue, just like Willis while he was toiling in Tennessee. He also has the size to be a viable option. Listed at 6’3” and 211 lbs, he’s only an inch shorter and eight pounds lighter than Jordan Love. In fact, side by side they look very similarly built.

What could have intrigued the Packers, outside of his starting experience in the league, is his mobility. We saw when Willis had to play that LaFleur was able to design a game plan around his movement skills and ability to use his legs. Whether it be with designed runs or read options, Willis’ runs were a big factor in those Packers offensive series. While Ridder might not be the same level of athlete, he is still a very good one in his own right. Especially in college, we saw his consistent ability to get to the edge and pull away from defenders while scrambling, making him a similar weapon to Willis. Gutekunst likely had that in mind when adding the 2026 season to his deal, with LaFleur being able to run a similar playbook to when Willis was the backup.

For Ridder, it’s always been his decision-making and high turnover rate. During the 2023 season, when he was the primary starter for the Falcons, he turned the ball over 12 times (interceptions and fumbles) in just 15 games. He experienced a stretch with seven turnovers in just three games. His decision-making and turnover issues never really improved throughout his stint as a starter. While he showed flashes at times, he definitely regressed throughout his Falcons tenure, and young quarterbacks should obviously get better with more playing time, not worse. Not being able to secure a solid backup role in four stops since then just highlights that fact, and until the Packers came calling, his career was on its final lifeline.

It’s entirely possible that with an entire offseason working with LaFleur and with better skill talent around him, Ridder might reach his full potential. Go back and watch some 2022-2023 tape of Willis while in Tennessee and then watch him this season. He is a completely different quarterback and Lafluer's coaching definitely had something to do with that. If Ridder can work out, it’s another great scrap-heap pickup for Gutekunst and more proof that Matt LaFleur is the right head coach for this football team to get the most out of the game’s most important position.