The National Football League rolled out the red carpet for its fans on a global scale to start the season by trotting out four of its finest franchises to showcase in two primetime games back to back. It was a showcase of the league's star power, especially at quarterback, to watch the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson in one game and Jordan Love and Jalen Hurts in the next.
Unfortunately, the weekend was also a reminder of just how important the position of quarterback is to a team's hopes and fortunes—and how devastating it can be to lose such a player.
The Green Bay Packers not only lost their season-opening game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil on Friday night, but if you missed the ending, Love went down with a painful injury to his lower leg or ankle area when trying to work a miracle comeback with seconds to play.
At the present moment, per NFL reporter Dianna Russini, nothing is certain about the injury but no one should expect Love to suit up in the near future. But all it took was a few seconds after watching Love leave the field to recognize the change in the team's offensive potential. That's because Malik Willis came out with seconds remaining to miss a quick sideline throw and then was sacked as time expired instead of getting to attempt a Hail Mary pass.
Jordan Love's injury is a good reminder of just how important the Chiefs' work at quarterback was this offseason.
To be fair to Willis, coming into the final seconds of a primetime game against the Eagles in Sao Paolo just days after arriving in Green Bay via trade isn't exactly a chance to ease into the role. In fact, it's unfair to project how he might fare with real preparation on just a couple of urgent plays in the face of an almost-certain loss. But also, this is Malik Willis that we're talking about.
Think about this: The Tennessee Titans drafted Willis in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft hoping to find a franchise quarterback without paying for one (either via major draft investments or trade/cash). The results were so abysmal that they went with a high-draft slot pull the following season in Will Levis. And instead of keeping Willis around as a cheap player with potential on the depth chart, they dealt him with two years of his rookie deal remaining.
This isn't to knock on Willis, because the Packers aren't alone here. It's hard for some NFL teams to find an answer at QB1, let alone a backup. Just ask today's Las Vegas Raiders or the Denver Broncos of the last decade. Honestly, did any team have a worse track record at quarterback than the Kansas City Chiefs in the decades before Andy Reid arrived with Alex Smith as his new leader? Quarterbacks are hard to find and claiming two quality options almost feels unfair.
The Chiefs are set at starting quarterback, of course, with the presence of a transcendent star in Patrick Mahomes, but it's the franchise's moves behind him that make all the difference in a scenario like this. This spring, the Chiefs brought in Carson Wentz as the backup and instantly upgraded a vital yet hopefully unused position. In fact, Wentz might be the most talented QB to ever sit behind Mahomes.
Wentz is already a household name among NFL fans, whether known as a former No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft or a promising young quarterback on his way to an MVP award when injuries changed his outlook. From there, he's failed to live up to the overwhelming draft buzz that accompanied him out of North Dakota State in 2016, but he's still a quality player who could honestly start for a handful of teams right now.
The fact that Wentz is on the roster just waiting in the wings behind Mahomes feels a bit weird when a guy like Willis is going to command the Packers' offense for the foreseeable future. But that's the beauty of what the Chiefs have built with this roster—one with plenty of reliable veteran depth on both sides of the ball.
Chiefs Kingdom has been there before, too, when watching Mahomes limping to the line of scrimmage or grimacing while his kneecap pops back into place. It was then that a trusted vet like Chad Henne would take the field and maintain the team's offensive momentum. Wentz has the goods to do the same and then some with a more expansive skill set than previous QB2s.
Even beyond Wentz is the presence of former Patriots draft pick Bailey Zappe on the practice squad. It's possible the Packers or any other team could claim Zappe at any moment, but he already comes with more success and experience than Willis or a number of other backup quarterbacks in the game. When the Chiefs realized they didn't want to lean on Chris Oladokun or Ian Book when the chips were on the table, Veach once again labored to craft a stronger depth chart.
Brett Veach did a remarkable job constructing this Chiefs roster to be able to withstand the rigors of a long season aiming for an historic three-peat. And one oft-forgotten part of that was the reworking of the quarterback position behind Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs were already lucky to have what they do in Mahomes but the entire unit is a rarity in today's NFL. Jordan Love's injury is a great reminder of that.