Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis is in a tough spot. The team selected him in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Liberty as the presumed future of the franchise. He was considered a raw prospect, but his athleticism and raw talent were certainly intriguing as he had a ton of potential.
Alas, some rough outings as a rookie put a damper on his outlook. He went 1-2 as a starter, including a loss to the Houston Texans, and struggled mightily whenever he was on the field. He was looked at as a developmental player entering the league, so the Titans thrusting him into the lineup when he probably wasn’t ready was a detriment to him.
But, he was in that position because he beat out the presumed backup, Logan Woodside, during training camp. The team’s confidence in Ryan Tannehill’s health and not having a contingency plan should something happen also isn’t Willis’ fault.
To make matters worse, the team selected another quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft. This time it was in the second round, after making a trade-up, to take Will Levis out of Kentucky. Before Willis was even able to see his career take off, he is fighting for his football life.
Despite the adversity that is facing him, Willis is making the most of his opportunities. Entering Year 2, there is a better understanding of what is expected of him and how he can go about handling it.
“It is definitely different from last year,” Willis added. “I think when you have a whole year of doing something, you just get a little more comfortable doing it.”
He has also been impressing his teammates during the offseason practices. Tannehill, the projected starting quarterback, said Willis is, “in command of the offense, throwing the ball accurately and … playing fast.”
Fellow second-year player, tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo has also noticed a change in Willis’ demeanor. “He seems a lot more confident in the huddle,” said Okonkwo. “When he’s calling the plays and with his reads, he’s a lot more decisive with the ball.”
Many players would have been broken after the rookie season that Willis had. Not only did he have a losing record, he failed to throw for 100 yards in any of his three starts and didn’t throw a single touchdown to go along with three interceptions.
Right now, Willis is competing with Levis to be Tannehill’s backup. But, that isn’t something that he is concerning himself with. Right now, the thing that Willis is most focused on is becoming a better version of himself, learning from all the bumps he took as a rookie and preparing himself as well as he can for what may lie ahead in the future.
