Who is Malik Willis of the Green Bay Packers?
Malik Willis is now 2-0 as a starter for the Green Bay Packers in relief of Jordan Love. He is completing 73.5% of his passes this season, has 324 yards passing, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. How do the Packers continue to get lucky with quarterbacks, and where in the world did Malik Wills come from?
Amateur Career
Willis was a three star quarterback in high school. He had originally committed to play for Virginia Tech, but after passing for 2,562 yards, rushing for 1,033 yards yards, and scoring 37 total touchdowns for Roswell High School in Georgia, he de-committed and signed with the Auburn Tigers.
Willis attempted only 14 total passes in his freshman (2017) and sophomore (2018) seasons. He could not get playing time, and had to watch Jarrett Stidham lead the Tigers offense. He transferred to Liberty and started for the Flames in 2020.
Malik would lead Liberty to a 10-1 record, completing 64.2% of his passes for 2,260 yards. He also threw 20 touchdowns to six interceptions, and added 944 yards and 14 touchdowns rushing. In 2021 the Flames went 8-5, and Willis stepped up his scoring production. He threw for 2,862 yards yards and 27 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. He also ran for 878 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Displaying an elite arm (still arguably the best in the NFL) and breakaway speed, it was easy to see why some draft analysts compared him to 2016 Heisman winner, Lamar Jackson. Projected by some to be a first-round pick like Jackson, Willis slipped to the third round of the 2022 draft (86th overall).
NFL Career
The Tennessee Titans had no intention in starting Willis over veteran Ryan Tannehill, but he would get a shot to prove himself in week 2 against the Buffalo Bills. He went 1 for 6, had six yards passing, and added 16 yards rushing in a 41-7 loss. His first career start would come in week 8 against the Houston Texans. He only attempted 10 passes and threw an interception, but got the victory.
In two years with the Titans, he only started three games. He completed just 53% of his passes and never showed the promise he displayed in college. The Titans sent him to Green Bay for a late day-three pick in the 2025 NFL draft (actual pick number not determined yet). He was yet again with a franchise that had no intention of starting him.
Packers starter Jordan Love went down with a knee injury in week one of the 2024 season, with the ink on his $220 million still drying on the page. Willis has stepped up in a big way and kept the Packers' Super Bowl hope alive. Few believe that Willis will remain the starter when Love is ready to go, but at the very least he has shown what he is capable of. There will certainly be a handful of interested teams waiting with bags of cash when he eventually hits free agency.