Packers monitoring Willis' shoulder
issue as well as Love's progress after OT loss to Bears
[December 22, 2025]
By STEVE MEGARGEE
Jordan Love isn't the only Green Bay quarterback dealing with a
health issue as the Packers attempt to regroup from a brutal 22-16
overtime loss in Chicago that dealt a major blow to their hopes of
winning the NFC North.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Sunday that Malik Willis hurt his
shoulder while playing the majority of the game in place of Love,
who's in concussion protocol after a helmet-to-helmet hit from
Austin Booker in the second quarter of Saturday night's game.
“I’d say he’s pretty sore,” LaFleur said of Willis. “That’s a
legitimate deal that he’s dealing with, and he’s going to be another
guy that we’ll see where he’s at as we progress.”
The Packers (9-5-1) remain unsure about Love's potential
availability for their home game Saturday with the Baltimore Ravens.
“That's always a tough one to navigate,” LaFleur said. “There’s a
lot of steps to getting through that. But I do think just my
conversations with people, I have not specifically talked to him
today, but it sounded like he was doing better.”
Green Bay's only other quarterback is Clayton Tune, who was signed
to the practice squad in late August. Tune played 13 games and made
one start with the Arizona Cardinals from 2023-24, and he went 14 of
23 for 70 yards with two interceptions and no touchdown passes.
LaFleur said running back Josh Jacobs and wide receiver Jayden Reed
would be the Packers' two emergency quarterbacks.
Green Bay's injury issues at the quarterback position and elsewhere
come at an inopportune time.
After blowing a 10-point lead in the final two minutes of the fourth
quarter and losing in overtime Saturday, the Packers are 1 1/2 games
behind Chicago in the NFC North race with two weeks left in the
season.
If the season ended today, the Packers would end up with the NFC's
seventh and final playoff seed for a third straight year. That's not
what the Packers were expecting when they made the blockbuster trade
just before the season to acquire superstar pass rusher Micah
Parsons, who's out for the season after tearing his left anterior
cruciate ligament in a 34-26 loss at Denver that started Green Bay's
two-game skid.
Green Bay did get some good news Sunday when former Packers
quarterback Aaron Rodgers led the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 29-24
victory at Detroit. The Lions' loss means the Packers can clinch a
playoff berth by winning just one of their final two games.
“The great thing about this game is it’s bittersweet now," defensive
lineman Rashan Gary said after Saturday's game, "but we’ve got
another opportunity to erase the taste out of our mouth this week
and we have another opportunity to correct ourselves and still put
ourselves where want to be at the end of the season.”
What’s working
Green Bay controlled possession for nearly 39 minutes in a game that
lasted just over 65 minutes. The Packers had a season-high 192 yards
rushing, their sixth straight game with at least 115 yards on the
ground.
In their first full game without Parsons, the Packers kept the Bears
out of the end zone for the first 59 1/2 minutes of the game.
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Green Bay Packers' Malik Willis throws during the second half of an
NFL football game against the Chicago Bears Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025,
in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
What needs help
Green Bay reached the red zone on five separate occasions and failed
to convert any of those opportunities into touchdowns. The Packers
also blew a 10-point lead one week after squandering a nine-point,
second-half advantage in a 34-26 loss at Denver. The Packers have
been outscored 44-20 after halftime over their last two games.
A team that has occasionally been prone to special teams breakdowns
had its worst mistake of the season when Romeo Doubs was unable to
hang on to an onside kick, setting the Bears up for their tying
touchdown in the last minute of regulation.
Without Parsons on the field, the Packers failed to produce a single
sack for a second straight game.
Stock up
Willis. He again showed he's one of the NFL's most reliable backup
quarterbacks. Willis, who went 2-0 as a starter last season, played
the majority of this game and guided a ball-control offense that had
the Packers in position to win for most of the night even as they
struggled to turn scoring opportunities into touchdowns.
Stock down
While playing through a knee injury, Jacobs mustered just 48 yards
from scrimmage (36 rushing, 12 receiving) and lost a fumble on
first-and-goal from the 4 in the third quarter. He didn't have
another carry the rest of the night.
WR Matthew Golden didn't catch a pass for the second time in three
games. The rookie first-round pick had no receptions in either of
Green Bay's two game with the Bears.
CB Keisean Nixon had the coverage on Caleb Williams' 46-yard
touchdown pass to D.J. Moore in overtime. An apparent
miscommunication between Nixon and CB Nate Hobbs allowed Jahdae
Walker to get free for a tying 6-yard touchdown catch on a
fourth-and-4 play with 24 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Injuries
The Packers have a major lack of depth at tight end after John
FitzPatrick injured his Achilles tendon in a game that Josh Whyle
didn't play due to a concussion. Green Bay already is missing Tucker
Kraft, who was having a Pro Bowl-caliber season before tearing his
ACL last month.
RT Zach Tom and S Evan Williams didn't play due to knee injuries.
Key number
4 for 48 — NFL teams had successfully converted just four of their
48 onside kick attempts this season, according to Sportradar, before
the Bears managed to recover theirs during their comeback Saturday.
Chicago's recovery improved the success rate for the season from
8.3% to 10.2%.
Next steps
The Packers hope they can get a little healthier before playing for
a second straight Saturday. Green Bay closes the regular season Jan.
4 at Minnesota.
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