Packers QB Jordan Love out vs. Colts with knee injury; Malik Willis to start

National Football League

Published Sep. 15, 2024 12:32 p.m. ET

Jordan Love won’t play for Green Bay in Sunday’s home game against the Indianapolis Colts as the quarterback continues to recover from a knee injury he sustained in the team’s season opener.

Love is inactive, marking the first time he has missed a game because of an injury since taking over as the starting QB last year. Love hadn’t practiced all week after hurting his left medial collateral ligament in the final series of the Packers’ 34-29 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 6 in Brazil.

Malik Willis will start in Love’s place, less than three weeks after joining the Packers. In a trade that was announced Aug. 27, Green Bay acquired Willis from the Tennessee Titans for a 2025 seventh-round pick.

Willis, a 2022 third-round pick from Liberty, made his only three previous starts during his rookie season. Tennessee went 1-2 in those games, and Willis didn’t throw for as many as 100 yards in any of them.

Sean Clifford will back up Willis. The Packers activated Clifford from the practice squad for Sunday’s game.

Willis will face a Colts secondary that is missing safety Julian Blackmon and cornerback JuJu Brents. Blackmon is unavailable because of a shoulder injury. Brents went on injured reserve this week after hurting his knee in a 29-27 loss to the Houston Texans.

The Colts also won’t have wide receiver Josh Downs available for a second straight game because of an ankle injury. Downs had 68 catches for 771 yards and two touchdowns last season.

Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is available. Buckner had been listed as questionable because of a back issue.

The Packers also announced Sunday that wide receiver Jayden Reed (shin/calf) and rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring) were available. Both had been listed as questionable on the injury report the Packers released Friday.

Reed had four catches for 138 yards against the Eagles and scored on a 70-yard reception and a 33-yard run. He also had a 38-yard touchdown catch nullified by offsetting penalties. Reed was the fifth player since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to score touchdowns on a catch of at least 70 yards and a run of at least 30 yards in the same game.

This will be the NFL debut for Lloyd, a rookie third-round pick from USC. Lloyd didn’t play against the Eagles because of a hamstring problem.

Joining Love on the Packers’ inactive list are safety Kitan Oladapo, defensive lineman Brenton Cox Jr., offensive tackles Andre Dillard and Travis Glover and defensive lineman Colby Wooden.

The Colts’ inactive players are Blackmon, Downs, defensive end Genard Avery, guard Tanor Bortolini, quarterback Sam Ehlinger, offensive tackle Blake Freeland and tight end Will Mallory.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]

FOLLOWFollow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience

National Football League

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

recommended