Vikings’ Main Rival Adds New QB

The Green Bay Packers upgraded their backup quarterback position on Monday behind Jordan Love, signing Tyrod Taylor after months of fans wondering who might snag the QB2 job.

Green Bay swapped one backup quarterback plan for another, and Minnesota will see the change up close.

Love has missed games in each of the last two seasons, and with Green Bay living in a tough division, the reserve signal-caller spot is rather important.

Veteran Insurance Arrives in Wisconsin

The Minnesota Vikings could see Taylor if Love goes down.

Taylor to GB

It’s a done deal for Taylor. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky wrote Monday, “A little more than a week after the NFL draft came and went without the Packers adding a quarterback, Green Bay is signing veteran Tyrod Taylor, a source told NFL Network. Taylor is expected to be the favorite to back up Jordan Love, who is entering his fourth season as a starter. Taylor is a replacement for Malik Willis, who played behind Love the past two seasons before signing with the Miami Dolphins in free agency.”

“Before signing the 36-year-old Taylor, the only other quarterbacks the Packers had on the roster were Desmond Ridder and Kyle McCord. Taylor missed training camp with the Jets last summer due to arthroscopic knee surgery — an issue that flared up in the middle of the season. He was named the starter on Nov. 17, replacing the ineffective Justin Fields, but he made only three starts from that point.”

Taylor is considered one of the more dependable backup passers in the league. If Love falls injured, Packers fans won’t feel the utmost anxiety.

Taylor’s Resume

Taylor experienced an awful year in 2025, ranking 34th among 43 qualifying quarterbacks per EPA/Play (minimum 180 dropbacks). He played substantially in 2023 with the New York Giants (244 dropbacks) and checked in at 26th of 40 passers in the same metric.

Here’s his NFL resume to date:

• Baltimore Ravens (2011–2014)
• Buffalo Bills (2015–2017)
• Cleveland Browns (2018)
• Los Angeles Chargers (2019–2020)
• Houston Texans (2021)
• New York Giants (2022–2023)
• New York Jets (2024–2025)
• Green Bay Packers (2026)

Taylor has started 62 games in his career, and when his 17-game average sample is extrapolated, his numbers look like this over the course of a full season:

• 3,299 Passing Yards
• 18 Passing TDs
• 8 INTs
• 61.9% Completion
• 573 Rushing Yards
• 5 Rushing TDs

Acme Packing Co.’s Justis Mosqueda on the transaction: “It’ll be interesting to see if the Packers keep all of these quarterbacks or if Kyle McCord and/or Kyron Drones will get cut moving forward. Green Bay’s coaches have stated in the past that it’s difficult to rep four quarterbacks in camp, and now the team is up to five: Jordan Love, Taylor, Ridder, McCord and Drones.”

“So far, there have been no details on the Taylor contract. Generally, veteran backups cost north of $5 million (up to $8 million) per year. Since this move was done post-draft, the addition of Taylor will not count against the Packers in the compensatory pick formula, preserving the 2027 picks they’re expected to earn from losing Romeo Doubs, Malik Willis, Quay Walker and Kingsley Enagbare.”

No More Malik Willis

Why do the Packers need a new quarterback next to Love? Simple — Willis vamoosed in March for the Miami Dolphins, following two former Packers personalities: Jon Eric-Sullivan, Miami’s new general manager, and Jeff Hafley, Dolphins’ next head coach.

Willis electrified an NFL audience last year, ranking No. 1 per the aforementioned EPA/Play metric and needing a spot to forge his reclamation tale that Green Bay could not provide at QB1 because it has Love. Therefore, like Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold in recent years, formerly highly-touted signal-callers who were left for dead, Willis will get his shot at QB1 redemption in Miami.

So, it’s Willis out, and Taylor in for the Packers.

Other GB Signings This Offseason

Since the start of the offseason, the Packers have added these notable newcomers:

• Zaire Franklin (LB) IND → GB
• Javon Hargrave (DT) MIN → GB
• Skyy Moore (WR) SF → GB
• Benjamin St-Juste (CB) LAC → GB
• Tyrod Taylor (QB) NYJ → GB

These players have left for new teams:

• Zayne Anderson (S) GB → MIA
• Romeo Doubs (WR) GB → NE
• Kingsley Enagbare (ED) GB → NYJ
• Nate Hobbs (CB) GB → SF
• Elgton Jenkins (C) GB → CLE
• Quay Walker (LB) GB → LV
• Rasheed Walker (LT) GB → CAR
• Malik Willis (QB) GB → MIA
• Emanuel Wilson (RB) GB → SEA

Taylor has never attempted a pass against the Vikings, despite playing in the NFL for 15 seasons. He’ll turn 37 this summer.

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