Malik Willis' future with the Tennessee Titans just got a lot brighter
News from the latest NFL Owners Meetings will directly benefit the young quarterback.
NASHVILLE — Quarterback Malik Willis' job security with the Tennessee Titans looked to be in serious danger when the team traded up to take Kentucky passer Will Levis in the second round of this year's draft. A new NFL bylaw was just passed that might greatly benefit Willis in that area.
It might also give Tennessee considerable depth at the most important position in sports.
NFL clubs adopted a proposal today at the Spring League Meeting in Minnesota allowing teams to dress a third quarterback without using an active roster spot. The propsoal offisically amended Article XVII, Section 17.3 of the league's Constitution and Bylaws, to reflect the following:
"One hour and 30 minutes prior to kickoff, each club is required to establish its Active List for the game by notifying the Referee of the players on its Inactive List for that game. Each club may also designate one emergency third quarterback from its 53-player Active/Inactive List (i.e., elevated players are not eligible for designation) who will be eligible to be activated during the game, if the club's first two quarterbacks on its game day Active List are not able to participate in the game due to injury or disqualification (activation cannot be a result of a head coach's in-game decision to remove a player from the game due to performance or conduct).
"If either of the injured quarterbacks is cleared by the medical staff to return to play, the emergency third quarterback must be removed from the game and is not permitted to continue to play quarterback or any other position, but is eligible to return to the game to play quarterback if another emergency third quarterback situation arises.A club is not eligible to use these procedures if it carries three quarterbacks on its game day Active List [47- or 48-players in 2023]."
It is entirely possible that the Titans might have kept Willis on the active roster this year anyway, given its current state.
The amendment, however, makes it much more feasible to do so given Tennessee's current log jam at the position and need for depth at almost every other position on the roster. Whether the Titans decide to actually use this amendment with Willis in mind remains to be seen. The 2022 third-round selection appeared in eight total regular season games with three starts and was benched for journeyman Joshua Dobbs after Willis' was ineffectual.
All the amendment does is give the Liberty product a better chance with his current employer.
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