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Packers QB Jordan Love out against Colts with knee injury; Malik Willis starts

Vaseline September 15, 2024

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

Indianapolis Colts

IND

Green Bay Packers

Love is inactive, marking the first time he has missed a game due to injury since becoming the starting QB last year. Love had not practiced all week after injuring his left medial collateral ligament on the final series of the Packers’ 34-29 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 6 in Brazil.

Malik Willis will take Love’s place less than three weeks after he joined the Packers. In a trade announced on Aug. 27, Green Bay acquired Willis from the Tennessee Titans for a 2025 seventh-round pick.

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

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

(Read more: QB Confidential: How Can the NFL Better Develop Its Backup Quarterbacks?)

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 the injured list this week after injuring his knee in a 29-27 loss to the Houston Texans.

The Colts will also be without wide receiver Josh Downs 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 was questionable due to a back problem.

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

Reed had four catches for 138 yards against the Eagles, scoring on a 70-yard reception and a 33-yard run. He also had a 38-yard touchdown catch that was neutralized by offsetting penalties. Reed became the fifth player since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 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 out of USC. Lloyd did not play against the Eagles because of a hamstring injury.

In addition to Love, the Packers’ inactive list also includes 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.

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