The Green Bay Packers needed an upgrade at backup quarterback before the start of the 2024 season, so when Malik Willis showed progression as a passer to start his third season in Tennessee, general manager Brian Gutekunst was ready to act.
Gutekunst and the Packers sent a seventh-round pick to the Titans for Willis before final cuts. Willis was stuck behind Will Levis and Mason Rudolph and likely be released by Tennessee, and sending a draft pick to the Titans ensured the Packers got the ascending backup quarterback they wanted. Gutekunst said the deal took a few phone calls and 24 hours to get done.
“Malik is a guy that, in his third year, he’s really shown a lot of progression, particularly in this past preseason,” Gutekunst said. “Just an opportunity for us to add a guy who I think can not only make plays with his arm but with his legs as well. Excited to get him.”
Like Gutekunst, Brandon Carwile of Packers Wire dug into the preseason tape of Willis and saw many positives.
In the preseason finale vs. the New Orleans Saints, Willis completed 3-of-4 passes for 51 yards and two touchdowns and rushed four times for 42 yards. Both touchdown passes came in the fourth quarter as the Titans came back to beat the Saints. He also led the Titans to a go-ahead field goal on a 74-yard drive in the fourth quarter a week earlier against the Seattle Seahawks.
Willis was a third-round pick of the Titans in the 2022 draft. The Packers like his skill set and athletic ability and potential as a passer. In fact, Gutekunst sees similarities between Willis and Packers quarterback Jordan Love, in terms of entering the NFL from a small school with a ton of ability but the need to progress as a professional quarterback.
“He’s always shown the traits. He’s a really good athlete. Really strong athlete. Strong arm. Able to make all the throws,” Gutekunst said. “You saw the flashes early on in his preseason work. But then I thought this year, the way his patience and the way he was going through his progressions and ability to play from the pocket. When to run, when not to run. Those kind of things progressed.”
Gutekunst admitted the preseason was a small sample size, but Willis did complete 20 of 27 passes while averaging 7.6 yards per attempt and rushing for 101 yards over three preseason games.
The Packers are confident Willis can continue progressing despite entering a new offense.
“We track guys through the early stages of their career, and one thing we saw, particularly with this new coaching staff in Tennessee, is just how much he progressed within the offense, playing from the pocket and making plays that way,” Gutekunst said. “This will be new for him, and obviously the quarterback position, it will take a little bit of time, but we’re really excited where his progression has taken him this far and where he’ll go, particularly under our group.”
As of Wednesday, Willis is the only quarterback behind Love on the 53-man roster. The backup job is his for 2024 and even 2025 if his continues progressing.
Asked if Willis could be ready to back up Love when the regular season opens for the Packers in nine days, Gutekunst was confident he would be good to go. Coach Matt LaFleur said he would be throwing a lot at Willis in the coming days to see if he can get up to speed in time. Sean Clifford, who returned on the practice squad, is an elevation option if Willis needs more time in the offense.