GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers are staring at a vacant seat in the quarterback room. After losing high-end backup Malik Willis to the Miami Dolphins earlier this spring and watching prime target Kirk Cousins sign a $20 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday, GM Brian Gutekunst is pivoting. The new target? Twelve-year veteran Jimmy Garoppolo.
Green Bay’s current depth chart behind Jordan Love is dangerously thin. While Desmond Ridder is on the roster, the team clearly views him as a third-string developmental piece rather than a Sunday savior. Kyle McCord, a 2025 late-round pick, hasn’t seen meaningful NFL snaps. The need for a “pelt on the wall” is real, especially since Love has missed four games over the last two seasons due to nagging lower-body injuries.
Garoppolo spent the last two years as a luxury backup for Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles. Now a free agent at 34, he represents the last established winner on the market. His career resume is exactly what Green Bay craves: 43-21 as a starter with 15,828 passing yards and 96 touchdowns. He knows how to manage a huddle and, more importantly, how to win with a playoff-caliber roster.
“We’ve discussed a lot of those options. You want a guy who has been in the fire, someone who can step in without the offense skipping a beat. It’s about protecting the work we’ve put in.”— Brian Gutekunst, Packers General Manager
The Packers aren’t just building for September; they are building for February. In the hyper-competitive NFC North, one or two games started by an unprepared backup can tank an entire season. The Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears have both fortified their rosters, leaving Green Bay with zero margin for error.
Signing Garoppolo isn’t about competition for Love—it’s about survival. If Love’s knee flares up in late November, the Packers need a distributor who won’t blink at the Lambeau cold. Garoppolo’s familiarity with West Coast concepts makes him a seamless fit for Matt LaFleur’s system. Expect a deal to move quickly as the 2026 NFL Draft approaches; the Packers cannot afford to enter May with their current uncertainty under center.
