Malik Willis’s path to return to the Titans could open during the head coach search

Willis left Tennessee and instantly became one of the best backups in the league.

Easton Freeze — Tennessee Titans Beat Writer
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Malik Willis’s path to return to the Titans could open during the head coach search

An explosively entertaining Week 16 kicked off on Thursday night with the game of the year between the Rams and Seahawks, and it continued Saturday night in yet another instant classic with the Bears roaring back to beat the Packers in overtime. No, the Eagles and Commanders did not play a football game in between those two matchups. You imagined that.

This rivalry matchup between Chicago and Green Bay threatened to lose its luster early, however, when QB Jordan Love was knocked out in the first half with a concussion. But former Titans draft pick and current Packers backup QB Malik Willis took over in a pinch, and he made a bold statement for himself in primetime mere weeks before he’s set to hit free agency.

Malik Willis will be a hot ticket in Free Agency

The Titans drafted Willis in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft and moved on by the beginning of the 2024 season. He was 1-2 in his three starts as a Titan, tallying a total of 276 yards on barely 50% completions, with no touchdowns and three interceptions.

When Will Levis was given the keys to the offense, veteran Mason Rudolph was brought in to be a “steadying” force at backup (though we all saw how that went). The Titans shipped Willis off to the Packers right before the season started up, and got a seventh-round pick in return.

I remember covering Willis throughout training camp and the preseason before he was traded, and I remember noting that he was stringing together some of the best practices we’d ever seen from him. We all talked and wrote about it a bit in the dog days of August, but it felt largely like a novelty. A classic training camp storyline of minimal real significance. Turns out, he really was blossoming. And getting sent to work under the wing of Matt LaFleur’s offense only helped accelerate that process.

Willis was 2-0 as a starter in 2024, including a win over the Titans at Nissan Stadium. That one stung very badly. He racked up 550 yards and three touchdowns on 74% completions, not throwing a single pick that year. The Packers had found a diamond in the rough backup, and the Titans had egg on their face.

Flash forward to Saturday night, and Willis played admirably once again in a primetime, high-leverage spot. This game was essentially to decide who would win the NFC North, and the Packers were in hostile territory. He stepped in with no notice and threw for 121 yards on 82% completions and one touchdown, running 10 times for 44 yards on top of it.

Despite the overtime loss, this was a roaring success for Willis on a personal level. He’s set to hit free agency for the first time in his career this winter, and he stands to make the first real money of his career. I can’t imagine the Packers want to see him go, and if Willis thinks staying with the organization that believed in him and gave him a shot to blossom is what’s best for his career, he may stay on a team-friendly deal. But when you survey the landscape of upcoming free agent QBs, it isn’t exactly a murderer’s row. Willis could have multiple suitors who drive up the bidding.

Could the Titans want him back? As bad an overall look as that could be, GM Mike Borgonzi wasn’t the one who drafted or traded Willis. His opinion of the young QB is unknown. And the most interesting wrinkle could be who they hire as the next head coach.

Packers DC Jeff Hafley is high on my list of coaching candidates, and he’s expected to get some interviews in the next month or so. Could that be with the Titans? I think it’s likely. And if he lands the job, I wonder if he’d have eyes for the young backup he saw grow right in front of him in Wisconsin…

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