With Jordan Love expected to miss at least the next three weeks, the Green Bay Packers will turn to backup quarterback Malik Willis to take over as the starter until Love returns. The Packers just traded for Willis last month after the preseason ended. So, here are 10 things you may not know about Packers quarterback Malik Willis:
Ten Things You May Not Know About Packers Quarterback Malik Willis, Number One: He Was High School Teammates with a Current Packers Player
Willis attended two high schools in Georgia, Westlake and Roswell. While at Roswell, he was teammates with Packers safety Xavier McKinney.
The duo was reunited when the Packers traded for Willis on August 27th. Green Bay signed McKinney as a free agent this past offseason.
Number Two: He Played at Two Different Colleges
Willis started his college career at Auburn and spent two seasons there. Then, he transferred to Liberty where he started for two seasons. He was the MVP of the 2020 Cure Bowl and the 2021 Lending Tree Bowl.
His best game came against Southern Mississippi, Brett Favre’s alma mater. He threw for six touchdowns and ran for one more.
Ten Things You May Not Know About Packers Quarterback Malik Willis, Number Three: He Won the Dudley Award in 2020
Willis won the Dudley Award in 2020 as the top college football player in Virginia. It was named Hall of Fame running back Bill Dudley.
Other past winners include former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber and quarterback Tayler Heinicke.
Number Four: His Uncle Played in the NFL
Willis’ uncle, James Anderson, played middle linebacker in the NFL for 10 seasons. Anderson was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played seven seasons in Carolina and then finished his NFL career with one season with Chicago, one in Tennessee and one with New Orleans.
Anderson started 71 games in his career and intercepted three passes.
Ten Things You May Not Know About Packers Quarterback Malik Willis, Number Five: He Was the Third QB Drafted in 2022
The 2022 NFL Draft was not considered deep at the quarterback position. There was talk that Willis could be selected in the first round, but he fell to the third round where the Titans added him with the 86th overall pick.
The two quarterbacks taken ahead of Willis were Kenny Pickett who the Steelers selected with the 20th overall pick, and Desmond Ridder who the Falcons took in the third round with the 74th pick.
Number Six: He’s Had to Adjust a Lot in the NFL
This is Willis’ third season in the NFL, and he’s had a lot of adjustments to make over the course of his career. He’s had three different offensive coordinators in Tennessee in three seasons if you include this preseason.
Now, he has a fourth offense to learn with the Packers and on very short notice. At least learning a new offense is something he’s familiar with.
The system the Titans ran in Willis’ first season in Tennessee is similar to the offense the Packers run under Matt LaFleur but with different terminology.
Ten Things You May Not Know About Packers Quarterback Malik Willis, Number Seven: He’s Made Three NFL Starts
Willis has started three NFL games in his career with all of them coming during his rookie campaign in 2022.
He went 1-2 in those three games beating the Houston Texans in his first start in Week 8, 17-10. In Week 9, the Titans fell to the Chiefs 20-17. Willis’ third start came in Week 15 where the Titans fell to the Texans in their rematch, 19-14.
Number Eight: He Has Still Not Thrown an NFL Touchdown Pass
For his career, Willis has completed 35-of-67 passes for 350 yards. He has yet to throw an NFL touchdown pass while throwing three interceptions. His career quarterback rating is 48.7. That includes the one pass he threw for the Packers against the Eagles at the end of the season opener.
Ten Things You May Not Know About Packers Quarterback Malik Willis, Number Nine: He’s a Mobile Quarterback
The Packers new quarterback is very athletic and can effectively move the football with his legs as well as his strong arm.
Willis has yet to throw a touchdown pass, but he ran for a score against the Texans back in Week 16 of 2022.
In his NFL career, Willis has gained 144 rushing yards on 32 career attempts for a 4.5-yard average. He picked up nine first downs running the football.
This preseason, Willis led the Titans in rushing, gaining 101 yards on 11 carries.
Look for the Packers to utilize Willis’ running ability with some RPOs and designed running plays while he is the starter.
Number Ten: Willis’ Contract Status
This is Willis’ third NFL campaign, so he is still on his rookie contract. He is signed for 2024 and 2025 and carries a cap hit of $1,174,100 for this season and $1,408,650 for 2025. He is eligible to become a free agent after the 2025 season unless he signs an extension.
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