GREEN BAY – Malik Willis never played the "what if" game.
Entering his third season in Tennessee, the former third-round pick stayed locked into his own process this summer rather than worry about his place in the hierarchy of the Titans' quarterback situation and where he fit into it.
Content with letting the chips fall where they may, Willis turned in a promising preseason in which he registered a 104.7 passer rating while leading the Titans with 101 rushing yards.
Less than 24 hours after leading a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback over the New Orleans Saints, Willis was called into a meeting with Titans general manager Ran Carthon and head coach Brian Callahan.
He was being traded to the Green Bay Packers.
"They gave me the news," said Willis on Wednesday. "They said it's either a positive or a negative, depending on how you look at it. This is an opportunity to come and be a '2' and work my way to get better every day and learn something along the way."
While the Titans sorted out their quarterback situation, the Packers were looking to add another passer to their roster after an inconclusive No. 2 competition between incumbent Sean Clifford and rookie seventh-round pick Michael Pratt.
Ultimately, General Manager Brian Gutekunst released both and dealt a 2025 seventh-round pick to Tennessee to acquire the 6-foot-1, 225-pound Willis to back up star QB Jordan Love.
As soon as he was informed of the trade, Willis packed his bags and headed north. While Willis wasn't seeking a fresh start per se, he was energized at the idea of working with Love.
The two QBs share agent, David Mulugheta, and have worked out together in the past. Willis spent a portion of his Wednesday diving into the playbook with Love before throwing on his red No. 2 jersey and hitting the practice field for the first time.
"The season's starting. There's no more lounging around and kind of getting ready for the season," Willis said. "This is what it is. There's no time to really think about it. It's time to go."
Willis isn't unfamiliar with change. He spent two seasons at Auburn before transferring to Liberty (Va.) University, where he enjoyed a record-setting run as the Flames' starting QB.
After scoring 74 total touchdowns in just two seasons, Willis emerged as one of the top QB prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft on his way to becoming the first Liberty QB to ever be drafted into the NFL, going 86th overall to the Titans.
Opportunities were difficult to come by in Nashville, though. Willis made three spot starts as a rookie, completing just 31 of 61 passes for 276 yards with three interceptions. The following year, the Titans spent a second-round pick on Will Levis and Willis served primarily as the No. 3 QB behind veteran Ryan Tannehill and Levis.
Mike Vrabel was fired after a disappointing 6-11 campaign. With Callahan's hiring as head coach, Willis was suddenly learning his third offense in three years. He feels he's learned from "the bumps and bruises," though.
"I learned at a crazy rate," Willis said. "It is what it is and just being able to adapt has really made me – not proud but definitely leaning on that and continuing to just grind and work hard and continuing to let things play out how they're supposed to."
With the season opener in Brazil a little more than one week away, Willis knows he has a lot of work ahead of him. There is a little carryover from the systems he played in with Tennessee. Whatever gaps appear, the 25-year-old quarterback said he's eager to fill them in the film room.
Aiding his transition to Green Bay will be former high school teammate Xavier McKinney, who's entering his first year with the Packers. Together, the two helped lead Roswell High School to the Georgia Class 7A state championship game in 2016.
More than anything, Willis is grateful to both the Packers and Titans for the opportunity to keep playing at the game's highest level. While the next week undoubtedly will be a whirlwind, it's worth it.
"I'm gonna take this thing day by day," Willis said. "It's a quick turnaround and (I'll) do my best to learn the offense and be prepared to back up Jordan and do whatever I can to help this organization and this team."
