Malik

Willis

Jordan Love had his leg rolled on by a Philly defender on the third-to-last play of this game and was unable to return. Willis threw an incomplete check-down to Romeo Doubs on his first play and took a game-ending sack on his second. The Packers simply needed to get a hail mary heave out of Willis and he couldn’t help himself but take a sack. The Titans immediately abandoned Willis because of his propensity for taking sacks and nothing appears to have changed after two plays with Green Bay. If Love can’t suit up for Week 2 versus the Colts, Matt LaFleur will have a brutal decision to make between Willis and Sean Clifford, who is currently on the team’s practice squad.

The Packers got the ball back down five with less than 30 seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter. Love opened the drive with a dart to Jayden Reed for a 33-yard gain. He had his ankle rolled on by a Philly defender while desperately trying to avoid a sack on the next play. Trainers spent time on the field with a writhing Love before helping him to the sideline. Malik Willis took the final two snaps. Love also appeared to be dealing with calf soreness through much of this game. Prior to the injury, the second-year starter was putting together a solid performance with 260 yards and two scores while completing 17-of-34 passes. He was intercepted once on an ill-advised throw to Luke Musgrave. Regardless of the scoreboard, Love’s health will be the big concern for Packers fans coming out of this game. Green Bay has Malik Willis on the roster and Sean Clifford on their practice squad as potential replacements for Week 2 against the Colts.

Clifford was selected in the fifth round of last year’s draft and spent all of last season as Jordan Love’s backup. The long-time Penn State product underwhelmed in camp and the preseason, which prompted a trade for Titans’ quarterback Malik Willis earlier in the week. The trade for Willis spelled an obvious end for Clifford’s tenure in Green Bay. It’s possible he makes his way back as a practice squad member, but he’ll need to clear waivers first.

Willis lost out on the backup job in Tennessee but presumably walks into a role as Jordan Love’s backup. The former third-rounder turned in a solid preseason, completing 20-of-27 passes (74.1 percent) for 205 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception while adding another 11 carries for 101 yards. The move to Green Bay could bode well for Willis, whose dual-threat abilities were never properly utilized by Mike Vrabel and the previous regime. He still has work to do as a passer and took five sacks on 13 pressures this preseason, but don’t discount Matt LaFleur having a better plan in place for Willis if he were ever to see regular season action.

Willis got the start and played the first three series before giving way to Mason Rudolph. He returned in the second half and the majority of his numbers came after returning in the third quarter, and he returned again late in the fourth while overthrowing a receiver on an interception. The third-year quarterback also ran for 19 yards on his three attempts. Willis showed off his athleticism, but his lack of accuracy and pocket awareness was on display. It seems very unlikely that he’s going to win the backup job in his battle with Rudolph at this point.

The report comes from FOX Sports NFL reporter Ben Arthur, who notes the Titans’ first-team offense will not play on Saturday. Earlier this month, backup QB Mason Rudolph seemed poised to win the QB2 role but Willis’ preseason Week 1 showing, playing as the QB3, evidently earned him a longer look. Willis was the only Titans QB to produce a big-time-throw last week and rushed four times for 42 yards, forced one missed tackle and picked up a pair of first downs. While Rudolph also gained a first down on the ground, he ultimately rushed two times for two yards and lost a fumble. Starter Will Levis’s long-term viability has yet to be determined so the Titans’ QB2 battle is one to monitor.

Jim Wyatt reports Willis “has improved, and he looks more comfortable than he’s ever been in the NFL.” The problem is, Rudolph has apparently been “remarkably accurate in the first seven practices of training camp.” The reality is, Rudolph was always going to be the favorite and would have to create an opening for Willis to walk through. Thus far, he has not. These are two players for whom the preseason will be key, but a lack of Rudolph playing time early would confirm he more or less has the job wrapped up.

Wyatt said he expects Mason Rudolph to beat out Malik Willis for the backup job behind Will Levis but he wouldn’t be surprised if Willis stuck around on the roster this upcoming season. Willis has thrown for 350 yards, no touchdown, and three interceptions in his 11 games as a pro while adding another 32-144-1 on the ground. Willis remains a developmental player heading into his third season, and while he may not be in line for too many starts this season, Wyatt added that the team “believes he’s worth keeping around” at this time.

Willis is the incumbent, but Rudolph is the backup brought in by Callahan, who is in his first year with the team. Rudolph has also been the more successful quarterback over his career, going 8-4-1 in his 13 career starts while throwing for 3,085-19-11. It’s far from impressive, but Willis has instilled no confidence in his limited opportunities, completing just 53 percent of his 66 passes in his career while throwing for 350 scoreless yards and three interceptions. Willis is a dual-threat quarterback who was once viewed by many as the QB1 of a weak 2022 class. However, it often felt like the old regime was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole when it came to his skill-set and the offense, which was more catered to Ryan Tannehill. If the Titans only keep two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, Willis looks like the early favorite to be the odd man out, but we’ll see how things unfold in camp.

Ryan Tannehill was removed from the injury report after recovering from his ankle injury. He will serve as Will Levis’s backup going forward. Malik Willis will likely be a healthy scatch for the remainder of the year.