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NFL Rumors: Malik Willis Traded to Packers to Back Up Love; Titans Get Draft Pick

Scott Polacek

The Green Bay Packers reportedly added some quarterback depth behind Jordan Love on Monday.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the NFC North team traded a 2025 seventh-round draft pick to the Tennessee Titans for quarterback Malik Willis. Willis was a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft but never lived up to expectations with the Titans.

Willis was an impressive playmaker with his arm and legs during his collegiate career at Liberty, but he still fell to the third round as part of an uninspiring quarterback class in the 2022 draft.

B/R's NFL Scouting Department ranked him as the second-best quarterback behind Desmond Ridder ahead of that draft, which underscores how much that class has struggled to make an impact in the NFL.

Others such as Kenny Pickett (No. 3), Matt Corral (No. 4) and Sam Howell (No. 5) have been inconsistent or failed to play their way into starting roles. In fact, only Brock Purdy has exceeded expectations from that class, and he was the final pick of the entire draft.

Willis appeared in 11 games with three starts in two years for the Titans and completed 53 percent of his passes for 350 yards, zero touchdowns and three interceptions while running for 144 yards and a score.

He went 1-2 as a starter, although he completed just six passes in the win over the Houston Texans in October 2022 and instead relied on Derrick Henry to do much of the work.

Perhaps a change of scenery will help Willis take the next step as a player even if he will only be in a backup role behind Love. And that seems to be the role he will play, as ESPN's Adam Schefter noted he will "likely" be the primary backup.

ESPN's Rob Demovsky also weighed in on the situation:

Green Bay is coming off a playoff appearance and has a long history of quarterback success with Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Love. Willis will have a chance to learn in that situation and potentially even contribute in a spot role if needed.

But he won't have a lot of time to get up to speed, as the Packers start the season on Sept. 6 against the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil.

   

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