GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis characterized the shoulder injury that sent him to the locker room midway through the fourth quarter Saturday as nothing more than a “tweak.”
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Willis could have reentered the game if necessary. The Packers instead opted to keep Willis on the sidelines after Baltimore’s Derrick Henry scored a game-clinching touchdown with less than two minutes left in the Baltimore Ravens’
41-24 victory.
Willis had performed brilliantly while starting in place of Jordan Love until he appeared to aggravate an injury to his throwing shoulder. Willis was replaced by Clayton Tune, whose only pass attempt of the night was intercepted by Marlon Humphrey.
“Just felt a little tweak,” Willis said. “All the treatment had me feeling good. A little soreness just built up over to that point of the game.”
Willis initially had hurt his throwing shoulder a week earlier while getting sacked on the final play of the fourth quarter in a 22-16 overtime loss at Chicago last week, though he played the rest of that game. He had entered that game after Love absorbed a helmet-to-helmet hit that put him in concussion protocol.
Although the Packers suffered their third straight loss Saturday, Willis played well enough to continue making a favorable impression on the rest of the league as he prepares to enter free agency this offseason. His performance backing up Love the last two seasons could enable some team to take a chance on him as a starting quarterback.
Willis won each of the two games he started in place of an injured Love last season. He went 18 of 21 for 288 yards and a touchdown through the air Saturday while also rushing for 60 yards and two scores on nine carries.
“He should get a chance to get a starting quarterback job in this league, because the way he’s been able to step in his time in Green Bay and every time he’s kind of answered the call, he’s done a really, really good job,” Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy said.
Willis’ performance was all the more impressive because he was limited all week by his shoulder issue and also fought through an illness that kept him from practicing Wednesday.
“I just think that speaks to the type of competitor Malik Willis is,” LaFleur said. “I mean, he’s as tough as anybody. He made play after play after play out there. He was one of the few bright spots I would say on the night in regards to what he was able to do. He made plays, he threw the ball accurately. It was kind of a crazy week in regards to him not getting really any reps, missed a day being sick, came back. He was dialed in, man, and I thought he played outstanding.”
Willis wasn’t really thinking about his future after Sunday’s game. He was more concerned with helping out a Packers team that is spiraling toward the postseason after losing each of its last three games.
“I think that what you put on tape is your pitch,” Willis said. “Obviously, you know, any opportunity, it will be a blessing, and you want to think about that type of stuff, but can’t worry about tomorrow. Today has enough problems of its own. We’ve got to figure out how to get back on track here.”
Green Bay’s injury issues will make it tough for the Packers to get back on track.
The Packers already have lost Pro Bowl pass rusher Micah Parsons, tight end Tucker Kraft, defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt and center Elgton Jenkins to season-ending injuries. Willis’ shoulder issue capped a brutal Saturday night in which safety Zayne Anderson, defensive lineman Jordon Riley and cornerback Kamal Hadden were carted into the locker room, cornerback Nate Hobbs injured his knee and receiver Dontayvion Wicks was evaluated for a concussion.
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