As part of the Tennessee Titans’ effort to trim down their roster to 53 by the 4 p.m. EDT Tuesday deadline, they traded quarterback Malik Willis to the Green Bay Packers on Monday. Willis didn’t perform as well as Mason Rudolph during the preseason, but Titans GM Ran Carthon says it was more about giving Willis a better opportunity.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Carthon addressed the decision. “Malik earned the opportunity to have a chance to be the backup, whether it was here or someone else,” he said. “He fought his ass off while he was here, and he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. … When Green Bay called, and we knew that Malik had the opportunity to be the backup, which we feel he deserved, it was about doing right by Malik and giving him that opportunity.”
Willis is now QB2 with the Packers behind Jordan Love, meaning that if Love gets injured, Willis is in. Rudolph earned the QB2 spot behind Will Levis for Tennessee.
With that trade and the Titans’ remaining cap space, head coach Brian Callahan said the team is potentially looking for a younger player to be QB3. Specifically, they are looking for a player in his first or second year, “that you can develop and pour into. … We’ll be patient and we’ll find the right fit for us.”
It’s not a huge need for the Titans. Levis is young, entering his sophomore season, and Rudolph is still only 29 years old. But if the NFL learned anything from watching the New York Giants last year (which ended up using QB3 Tommy DeVito for most of the season), then they know that having a QB3 can be necessary.
In this case, the Titans can take their time and find the right fit for the team.