The Green Bay Packers are days away from opening training camp, with players set to report to Ray Nitschke Field near Lambeau Field starting July 29 and continuing through Aug. 26 as coaches evaluate who will earn one of the 53 available roster spots.
Quarterback remains a position of interest despite the clear hierarchy at the top. Jordan Love enters his fourth season as the full-time starter after succeeding Aaron Rodgers, and his hold on the job appears firm.
The focus shifts to the depth chart behind him following the departure of last year’s primary backup, Malik Willis, who signed with the Miami Dolphins in free agency.
Currently listed behind Love are veteran Tyrod Taylor along with less experienced options Kyle McCord and Kyron Drones. Taylor brings years of NFL experience to the mix, while McCord and Drones are still building their professional resumes.
McCord arrived via a January signing after being selected in the sixth round by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2025 draft. Drones joined the team as an undrafted free agent.
Into this mix comes discussion of a newly available quarterback. Just before the Baltimore Ravens opened their own training camp, the team released Diego Pavia, the former Vanderbilt standout who had signed a three-year deal as an undrafted free agent shortly after the 2026 NFL Draft.
Pavia will first go through the waiver process. Should he clear waivers, he would become a free agent again and could attract interest from teams seeking additional depth under center.
Sports Illustrated’s Mike Kadlick has pointed to the Packers as one logical destination for the young passer.
“Adding further insurance behind Love—who’s played a full 17-game season just once since taking over as Green Bay’s full-time starter in 2023—would be a smart move, but the intriguing angle with Pavia is what head coach, play-caller and quarterback guru Matt LaFleur could get out of him,” Kadlick wrote.
Kadlick highlighted the transformation LaFleur previously oversaw with Willis after Green Bay acquired him from the Tennessee Titans.
“After the aforementioned Willis was essentially written off by the Titans and traded to the Packers for a seventh-round pick in 2024, he was able to turn his career around under LaFleur’s guidance,” Kadlick added.
“Once a sporadic, near-50% passer in Tennessee, Willis developed into an accurate thrower over the past two seasons, reaching a 79% completion percentage in 11 appearances while leading Green Bay to a 2–1 record across three spot starts. Could LaFleur unlock something similar with Pavia—a raw but dynamic playmaker who could use some behind-the-scenes development? It could be worth the dice roll.”
Taylor is widely expected to serve as the primary backup given his track record. That leaves McCord and Drones competing primarily for the third quarterback role heading into the preseason. Adding Pavia would create an even tighter battle for those limited spots on the 53-man roster.
Making the active roster would represent an uphill climb for Pavia because of his lack of professional experience compared with the players already in the building. Even if performances in camp and the preseason proved comparable among the younger options, established NFL time would likely work against the newcomer.
A more realistic path could involve landing on the Packers’ practice squad. That arrangement would allow the organization to continue developing the dual-threat quarterback under LaFleur’s system while keeping him available should injuries create an opening later in the year.
Pavia’s college background as a mobile, athletic passer who can create outside of structure offers a different skill set from some of the other backups. Whether that package translates to the next level remains to be seen, but the Packers’ recent success developing quarterbacks who arrived with questions makes the idea worth considering for some observers.
Training camp will provide the first real answers about the backup situation. Love will take the majority of the first-team repetitions, while the supporting cast works to prove its value in limited opportunities. The competition is expected to be competitive given the combination of veteran know-how and younger talent already on the roster.
For Pavia, the coming days will determine whether any team, including Green Bay, decides the potential upside justifies a roster or practice-squad opportunity after his brief stay in Baltimore ended.
