Malik Willis is a different player for the Packers than his previous three NFL starts for the Titans

Jordan Love did not practice Thursday, moving the Green Bay Packers one day closer to starting Malik Willis at quarterback when they face the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

Love injured his knee with six seconds left in the Packers’ 34-29 season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles a week ago in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The quarterback has not practiced since.

But on Thursday, Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said Love did not need to practice to play Sunday.

“He’s going to do everything he can to be on the field,” LaFleur said, “and we’ll give him the week.”

In the meantime, Willis continues his crash course in the Packers’ game. Green Bay acquired the former Auburn quarterback in a He was traded to the Tennessee Titans after the end of the preseason and practiced for the first time with the Packers on August 28.

“Since I got here, I’ve been working pretty much 24 hours a day,” Willis said. “That’s the reality of it. You try to show up and be ready to go if you’re called, and you just work every day and that’s it, that’s all you can do. That’s all you can control. …

“I’m just trying to put in as much time as I need to feel comfortable and make sure that whenever my number is called, I’m ready. Whether Jordan can go or not, I’m just trying to be ready no matter what, because even if he can go, I have to be ready like I was last week.”

LaFleur praised Willis’ work since joining the Packers.

“I think he’s done a great job in these three weeks, which feels like three months that he’s been here,” LaFleur said, “focusing on everything, being aware of the details of why we’re trying to get things called, showing him the clips to get him ready, to give him confidence. And now it’s about getting out there and doing it. …

“He’s been great. He’s been great. I mean, at the end of the day, it’s football. It’s something these guys have done for a good portion of their lives, and I think that’s the approach you have to take. You put everything you’ve got into it Monday through Saturday, and then you’ve got to go out there and trust the practice, trust the preparation. You’ve got to go out there and play on Sunday.”

When Willis entered the game for Green Bay’s final two snaps against Philadelphia, it was his 12th NFL appearance. A backup for two seasons at Auburn, Willis shined at Liberty for two seasons before joining the Titans in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Willis worked as Ryan Tannehill’s backup in Tennessee. As a rookie, he started three games when Tannehill was injured.

“Call it what you want, I wasn’t ready yet, but I had to go,” Willis said. “And I’m a different player than I was back then. But you know, you control what you control. It’s not a question of knowing, it’s a question of what you can prove on the field.”

If Willis is Green Bay’s quarterback on Sunday, LaFleur said the Packers will have a game plan tailored to his strengths.

“We’ll definitely go through that and comb through it at the end of the week,” LaFleur said, “and probably eliminate some things if he’s not super comfortable with it and showcase the things that he really likes and is more comfortable with. And it’s not like we’re dealing with a rookie here that has no experience. A lot of these offenses are doing similar things. It’s just a question of how do you do it? When do you do it? Who do you put where?”

After starting the season with a loss, the Packers have other concerns than the quarterback position heading into Sunday, LaFleur said.

“You have to prepare your team to play,” LaFleur said. “I mean, circumstances don’t dictate how we approach a game. They never have and they never will. So you just have to think about how we put our players in the best position possible, no matter who’s on the field. That’s the mentality. I mean, that’s the only way I do it.”

The Packers and Colts will face off at noon CDT on Sunday at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

As a member of the AFC South, Indianapolis was on the Titans’ schedule twice a season during Willis’ time in Tennessee. LaFleur said preparing for those games will help Willis prepare for Sunday’s game.

“I think there’s a certain familiarity with going up against a guy like Gus Bradley (Colts defensive coordinator) and the schemes he runs,” LaFleur said. “I have a lot of respect for Gus. I think he’s one of the best in the business. One thing that always comes out when you watch this team — no matter who he’s coaching — play is they’re going to be fundamentally sound and they’re going to play as hard as anybody in the league and they do a great job of attacking the ball.”

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.