Willis remains the backup quarterback in the immediate aftermath of the draft, but he will have to earn the role moving forward, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The Titans selected Willis in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, so to call his future with the team into question appears drastic on the surface. However, after he struggled immensely in limited action as a rookie, Tennessee opted to spend an early second-round selection on Will Levis in this year's draft. Ryan Tannehill remains the clear starter for the time being, though coach Mike Vrabel said that he will let the player's performance dictate their spot on the depth chart as the season draws closer. As a result, Willis is heading into a pivotal time for his pro career, even though he's entering only his second season.
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Titans' Malik Willis: Will be backup QB on Saturday
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Willis will operate as the backup quarterback behind Joshua Dobbs for Saturday's regular-season finale against Jacksonville, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
With Ryan Tannehill (ankle) on injured reserve, Willis drew the start Week 16, but he threw two interceptions and was benched for Week 17. While the Titans lost to Dallas last Thursday, Vrabel said he was encouraged by the way Dobbs played and is confident in the veteran's ability. Willis is a rookie third-round pick and figures to have a future in Tennessee, but barring an injury, it appears like he'll be relegated to bench duties for the remainder of the 2022 campaign.
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Titans' Malik Willis: Candidate to start finale
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Coach Mike Vrabel is still deciding whether Willis or Joshua Dobbs will start the regular season finale against the Jaguars, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
The Titans went with Dobbs against Dallas on Thursday, and the 27-year-old quarterback threw for a respectable 232 yards with one touchdown and two turnovers in the 27-13 loss. Willis is more capable of making plays with his legs, but the rookie third-round pick out of Liberty failed to break triple digits in passing yards in any of his first three NFL starts. Needing a Week 18 win to make the postseason, the Titans will prioritize winning now over any future development, which could give Dobbs the inside track given Willis' struggles as a passer to date.
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Titans' Malik Willis: Not expected to start Thursday
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The Titans are expected to start Josh Dobbs rather than Willis in Thursday's game against the Cowboys, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
With Ryan Tannehill (ankle) already ruled out for the contest and likely done for the regular season, the Titans will get their first look at Dobbs, who was signed off the Lions' practice squad last week. Though the Titans are set to hold out a number of key players with an eye toward being as healthy as possible for a Week 18 matchup with the Jaguars that will decide the AFC South champion, Willis' expected absence may have more to do with his poor performance in place of Tannehill this season. Through the first eight appearances (three starts) of his rookie campaign, Willis has completed 31 of 61 attempts (50.8 percent) for 276 yards, zero touchdowns and three interceptions. He's also lost two fumbles, which has negated some of the value he's provided as a runner (123 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries). With that in mind, Dobbs could put himself in consideration to start the regular-season finale if he acquits himself well Thursday.
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Titans' Malik Willis: Getting another start Thursday
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Willis is in line to start Thursday's game against Dallas with Ryan Tannehill (ankle) ruled out for a second straight contest, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Tannehill won't return until the playoffs, if at all this season, and Willis' performance through the first three starts of his career doesn't inspire confidence in the Titans making it beyond Week 18. The Titans' game this Thursday is all but meaningless in terms of the AFC playoff picture, which probably explains why Derrick Henry (hip) and a slew of other key players are either listed as doubtful or out. With that in mind, the Titans could let Willis take more shots -- even against a tough Dallas defense -- as their playoff fortunes are almost certain to depend on the result Week 18 at Jacksonville and nothing else.
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Titans' Malik Willis: Ugly effort in loss
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Willis completed 14 of 23 passes for 99 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions in Saturday's 19-14 loss to the Texans. He added seven rushes for 43 yards and a touchdown.
Willis drew his fourth start of the season with Ryan Tannehill (ankle) sidelined, but he struggled to get the Titans' offense moving. He averaged only 4.3 yards per attempt and his longest completion of the day went for just 14 yards. In addition, Willis threw a pair of interceptions, the first of which came on a potential game-winning drive inside Houston territory late in the fourth quarter. Positively, he did tally a 14-yard rushing score midway through the third quarter. While that hinted at his potential to excel, Willis' outlook for the final two games of the regular season is not positive.
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Titans' Malik Willis: Should get at least two starts
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Willis is expected to start Saturday's game against the Texans as well as the Titans' Week 17 matchup with the Cowboys next Thursday while Ryan Tannehill (ankle) is sidelined through at least Week 18 after undergoing a surgical procedure earlier this week, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Tannehill had a tightrope procedure on his right ankle after he suffered the injury during the Titans' first possession of last week's loss to the Chargers. Though Tannehill missed just one series before checking back in and finishing out the game, he didn't practice in any fashion this week after opting for surgery. Rapoport relays that a three-week recovery timeline typically represents a best-case scenario for these kind of procedures, but Schefter reports that Tannehill is still viewed as a "long shot" for a Week 18 matchup with the Jaguars, a game that could determine the AFC South champion. At least for the next two weeks, the Titans will have to turn to Willis, who previously started for an injured Tannehill in Weeks 8 and 9. Though the Titans beat the Texans and lost to the Chiefs in overtime during that two-game stretch, Willis wasn't asked to do much while Tennessee leaned heavily on running back Derrick Henry. Willis attempted just 26 total passes over those two starts, completing 11 of those throws for 135 yards and an interception while adding 52 yards and 13 carries.
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Titans' Malik Willis: Stepping in for injured Tannehill
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Head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed Thursday that Willis will start Saturday's game against the Texans with Ryan Tannehill (ankle) ruled out for the contest, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
For the time being, Tennessee has ruled Tannehill out only for the Week 16 contest, but Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reported Wednesday that the Titans' top signal-caller is "very likely" done for the season due to a right ankle injury that is expected to require surgery. Tannehill's absence sets up Willis to make his third start of the season, including his second against the Texans, which came back in the two teams' previous matchup in Week 8. During Willis' prior two-game run as the starter, the Titans leaned heavily on running back Derrick Henry, with the rookie signal-caller attempting just 26 total passes and accounting for only 135 yards the air between a win over Houston and a Week 9 loss to Kansas City. The speedy Willis at least proved to be more of a threat on the ground, rushing 13 times for 52 yards in those games. While his rushing ability gives him some theoretical fantasy upside, Willis' lack of reliable passing volume makes it difficult to justify starting him in one-quarterback lineups.
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Titans' Malik Willis: Sees action in Sunday's loss
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Willis completed three of four passes for 20 yards and gained eight rushing yards on one carry in Sunday's 17-14 loss to the Chargers.
The rookie was pressed into action in the first quarter when Ryan Tannehill was carted back to the locker room with an ankle injury, but the Titans' starting QB was able to return to the lineup before halftime, putting Willis back on the sideline. He's gotten snaps in seven games so far this season, but Willis is still looking for his first NFL touchdown, either through the air or on the ground.
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Titans' Malik Willis: Plays in garbage time
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Willis completed two of four passes for 16 yards in Sunday's 35-10 loss to the Eagles. He also ran the ball once for eight yards.
Willis entered the game almost exactly halfway through the fourth quarter with the Titans down 25 points. He primarily handed the ball off to Julius Chestnut, though he did connect with Dontrell Hilliard for a gain of 10 yards and C.J. Board for a gain of six yards. Willis will remain the backup to close the 2022 season unless Ryan Tannehill becomes unavailable.
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Titans' Malik Willis: Back to No. 2 role
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Willis will return to a backup role Sunday against the Broncos with Ryan Tannehill (ankle) active for the contest and cleared to start, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
While Tannehill was sidelined for the past two weeks, Willis started but handled little more than a caretaker role while the Titans leaned even more heavily into the Derrick Henry-led ground attack. Willis showed some rushing upside of his own by carrying 13 times for 52 yards in games against the Texans and Chiefs in Weeks 8 and 9, respectively, but he showed little polish as a passer, completing just 11 of 26 attempts for 135 yards and an interception. So long as Tannehill stays healthy the rest of the way, Willis' remaining opportunities this season will likely come in garbage-time situations late in games.
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Titans' Malik Willis: Struggles in second start
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Willis completed just five of 16 pass attempts for 80 yards and rushed eight times for 40 yards in Sunday's 20-17 overtime loss to Kansas City.
Willis was thrust into another start with Ryan Tannehill (ankle) still unavailable due to injury. The rookie performed better than his mediocre stat line would suggest, as he was able to protect the ball and provide enough of a threat with his legs to allow Derrick Henry (17/115/2) to eat. Willis' inexperience showed down the stretch when he suffered a couple of drive-killing sacks while trying to extend broken plays. Ryan Tannehill was questionable leading up to this primetime loss, so the the third-round pick may find himself back at No. 2 on the quarterback depth chart for next Sunday's tilt against the Broncos. If the former is unable to go, Willis should be treated as a low-end fantasy option based on his poor results over his two emergency starts.
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Titans' Malik Willis: Could be in line for another start
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Willis took most of the first-team reps in practice this week and could be on tap for another start Sunday in Kansas City with Ryan Tannehill (ankle) listed as questionable for the contest but uncertain to be available, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Though Tannehill traveled to Kansas City and is being treated as a game-time decision, Rapoport relays that the quarterback was "very, very limited" in practice this week after sitting out the Titans' Week 8 win over the Texans. While Tannehill plans to do everything he can to play, Rapoport suggests that there's "not a lot of optimism" the veteran signal-caller will be ready to play. With that in mind, Willis may be primed for a second consecutive start, but the Titans would undoubtedly prefer to lean heavily on the Derrick Henry-led ground attack for as long as the game flow allows for it. Even so, keeping pace with the Chiefs' prolific offense won't be an easy task, so if Willis starts, expect him to drop back more frequently than he did last week, when he attempted just 10 passes. While the rookie is unproven as a passer at the NFL, Willis demonstrated elite rushing ability in college and during the preseason, so he could have some intrigue in leagues that start two quarterbacks or have a QB flex lineup spot available. Fantasy managers will still want to have an alternative plan on hand for Willis, however, if Tannehill avoids the inactive list ahead of Sunday's 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff.
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Titans' Malik Willis: Does little in first start
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Willis completed six of 10 passes for 55 yards and an interception while adding 12 rushing yards on five carries in Sunday's 17-10 win over the Texans.
The 2022 third-round pick didn't look ready for prime time in his first career start and failed to make an impact with his arm or his legs. Fortunately for Willis and the Titans, Derrick Henry was once again trampling the Texans defense into the dirt, and they didn't need the rookie QB to do much. Ryan Tannehill (ankle) could be ready to return next week, but if he isn't Willis will need to raise his game significantly in a road matchup against Kansas City.
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Titans' Malik Willis: Getting Week 8 start
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Willis is expected to start Sunday against the Texans with Ryan Tannehill (illness/ankle) officially unable to play, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Tannehill started each of the Titans' past 49 games, but with the veteran on the mend due to an ankle sprain and also struggling with an illness, the team will turn to the 2022 third-round pick to make his first career start. It's possible Willis could actually improve a passing attack that currently ranks 25th in the NFL given Houston's defense will have to account for the rookie's explosiveness as a runner, but it's also fair to point out Willis' struggles as a passer in the preseason, which accounts for his only real action at the NFL level. Expect a heavy dose of Derrick Henry to help Willis ease his way into the contest to start, but provided the Titans uncork the athletic weapon, the Liberty product could be in for an intriguing fantasy day.
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Titans' Malik Willis: Prepping for possible Week 8 start
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Willis took reps with the first-team offense at Friday's practice and would be in line to start Sunday against the Texans if Ryan Tannehill (ankle) -- who is listed as questionable for the contest -- is unable to play, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com reports.
Tannehill has started each of the Titans' last 49 games, but his availability for Week 8 is in jeopardy after he missed a pair of practices this week -- including Friday's session -- while managing a right ankle injury. According to McCormick, head coach Mike Vrabel said that the Titans will likely wait as long as possible to see how Tannehill heals up from the injury before determining the quarterback's availability for Sunday's contest, so Tannehill is seemingly trending toward a game-time decision ahead of the 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff. If Tannehill is inactive this weekend or dresses an emergency backup, Willis, a rookie third-round pick out of Liberty, would at least make for an intriguing option in DFS contests or in two-quarterback or superflex season-long leagues. Willis has taken just 19 regular-season snaps, but the dual-threat signal-caller turned some heads in the preseason with 28 completions for 318 yards and two touchdowns on 51 attempts while amassing 159 yards and a score on 14 carries.
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Titans' Malik Willis: Inefficient passing night in win
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Willis completed seven of 17 pass attempts for 80 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions and rushed five times for 42 yards during the Titans' 13-3 preseason win over the Buccaneers on Saturday night.
Willis started the game as expected with Ryan Tannehill getting the night off and was consistently frustrated early, as the Titans turned it over on downs and punted twice apiece in their first four possessions while gaining a total of just 34 yards. However, Willis subsequently helped lead a 13-play, 78-yard march that ended in a Randy Bullock field goal and then threw a six-yard touchdown toss to Chigoziem Okonkwo just before halftime. The rookie third-round pick took another three sacks as well, so it's clear he has plenty of work to do when it comes to pocket awareness and accuracy while working as Tannehill's understudy this coming season. Willis should get another solid allotment of playing time with which to continue working out the kinks next Saturday night against the Cardinals in Tennessee's preseason finale.
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Titans' Malik Willis: Starting Saturday night
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Willis will start at quarterback in Saturday's preseason game against Tampa Bay, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.
Willis had an up-and-down pro debut in Baltimore last week, mixing highlights with questionable decisions. Coach Mike Vrabel criticized the rookie for scrambling around too much, but Willis nonetheless will play ahead of Logan Woodside again Saturday night.
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Titans' Malik Willis: Strong first impression in loss
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Willis completed six of 11 passes for 107 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and rushed five times for 38 yards and a score in the Titans' 23-10 preseason loss to the Ravens on Thursday night.
Willis' night started slowly with three incompletions and a pair of three-play, five-yard drives sandwiched around a one-play possession that ended in a Julius Chestnut fumble. However, the rookie hit his stride from that point, completing six of his last eight attempts, the highlight of those throws a 48-yard completion to Racey McMath early in the second quarter on a drive that culminated in a field goal. Willis' rushing score, a seven-yard jaunt on the prior possession, was also a thing of beauty, as he reversed direction and beat multiple defenders to the end zone with speed and a nifty cutback move to get past the goal line. The high-upside third-round pick did take two sacks and naturally needs plenty more seasoning at the pro level, but in his first half of NFL action, he already flashed the strong arm and elite mobility that endeared him to to the organization. Willis' first opportunity to build on a strong initial performance comes in a preseason home matchup against the Buccaneers a week from Saturday night.
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Titans' Malik Willis: Starting Thursday
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Willis is slated to start Thursday's preseason game at Baltimore, Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com reports.
With starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill in line to sit out the Titans' exhibition opener, Willis and Logan Woodside will split QB duties, earning roughly a half of work apiece, per Jim Wyatt of the team's official site. Willis, a third-round pick in this year's draft, is getting the first shot to lead the offense and will have rookie first-round wide receiver Treylon Burks at his disposal as well.
