Player
Malik Willis
QB · Packers
The before/after arc is the whole story with Willis — a player written off as a draft bust who quietly became one of the more valuable backup QBs in the league. The season-by-season table lets fans see exactly when the transformation happened.
From Titans flameout to Packers backup gold — Willis has reinvented himself in Green Bay.
TrendWillis by season (passing & rushing)
| Season | Team | Gms | Att | Cmp | PYds | PTD | Int | RuYds | RuTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | TEN | 7 | 61 | 31 | 276 | 0 | 3 | 123 | 1 |
| 2023 | TEN | 2 | 5 | 4 | 74 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| 2024 | GB | 6 | 54 | 40 | 550 | 3 | 0 | 138 | 1 |
| 2025 | GB | 4 | 35 | 30 | 422 | 3 | 0 | 123 | 2 |
Willis was a 3rd-round pick by Tennessee in 2022 with a thrilling college-rushing profile but a raw passing game. In Nashville across 2022-23: 35-of-66 for 350 yards, 0 TDs, 3 INTs. Career looked over.
Green Bay traded for him in August 2024 and the rebuild stuck. Across 2024-25 with the Packers: 70-of-89 (78.7%) for 972 yards, 6 TDs, 0 INTs, plus 261 rushing yards and 3 TDs — a sustained sample of clean, mistake-free relief work.
Why it matters. The before/after arc is the whole story with Willis — a player written off as a draft bust who quietly became one of the more valuable backup QBs in the league. The season-by-season table lets fans see exactly when the transformation happened.
In Green Bay: 78.7% completions, 0 interceptions on 89 attempts.
SplitWillis Tennessee vs. Green Bay
| Era | Gms | Cmp/Att | Cmp% | PTD | Int |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titans 2022-23 | 8 | 35/66 | 53.0% | 0 | 3 |
| Packers 2024-25 | 9 | 70/89 | 78.7% | 6 | 0 |
This is the most dramatic before/after in any active QB's profile. In Tennessee across 8 appearances he was a 53% passer with 0 TDs and 3 INTs. In Green Bay across 9 appearances he's a 78.7% passer with 6 TDs and 0 INTs.
The sample is small (89 attempts as a Packer), but the trend has held across every game of relief and starter work — Matt LaFleur's scheme + a real WR room turned the same player into a competent NFL backup.
Why it matters. The split quantifies the magnitude of Willis's turnaround. Going from 53%/0TD/3INT to 78.7%/6TD/0INT on the same player is historically unusual for a backup QB and explains why Green Bay has retained him.
Career-best game: 18/21 for 288 yards, 1 TD + 9 carries, 60 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs vs Baltimore.
MilestoneWillis's top career games
| Year | Wk | Opp | Cmp/Att | PYds | PTD | RuCar | RuYds | RuTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17 | BAL | 18/21 | 288 | 1 | 9 | 60 | 2 |
| 2024 | 3 | TEN | 13/19 | 202 | 1 | 6 | 73 | 1 |
| 2025 | 16 | CHI | 9/11 | 121 | 1 | 10 | 44 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 | IND | 12/14 | 122 | 1 | 6 | 41 | 0 |
With Jordan Love hurt in late 2025, Willis got the Week 17 start vs. Baltimore: 18-of-21 (85.7%) for 288 yards, 1 TD passing + 9 carries for 60 rushing yards and 2 rushing TDs. That's 3 total TDs and zero INTs against a top-10 defense.
His 2024 Week 3 start against his old team Tennessee was the breakout — 13/19, 202 yards, 1 passing TD, 6 carries for 73 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD. The Packers won both Willis starts in 2024.
Why it matters. The game log shows Willis isn't just cleaning up garbage time — his best performances come against real competition (BAL, TEN), and the dual-threat dimension (rushing stats in every game) makes him more dangerous than a typical check-down backup.
405 career rushing yards on 74 carries across 19 games — 5.5 YPC and a live QB-run threat every appearance.
RareAcross his 19 career regular-season appearances, Willis has logged 74 carries for 405 yards (5.47 YPC) and 4 rushing TDs. That's over 21 rushing yards per appearance — Jalen Hurts-territory mobility for a backup.
His Week 17 2025 vs. Baltimore (9 carries, 60 yards, 2 TDs) was the showcase: the QB run game is real, and Green Bay's package for him goes well beyond the lone scramble out of obvious pass situations.
Why it matters. The rushing profile is what makes Willis uniquely valuable as a backup — he brings a genuine dimension-changing threat that most QB2s don't have. 5.5 YPC on 74 career carries is elite efficiency for a QB.
6 career passing TDs vs. 0 INTs in Green Bay — among the cleanest backup-QB lines of the past decade.
ComparisonBackup QBs with 6+ TDs and 0 INTs on 80+ attempts in a single team stretch are rare. Willis's Green Bay tenure has produced exactly that line.
The original 2022 draft narrative was inverted: he was the rushing QB with no passing chops — now he's a 78.7% completion, zero-turnover backup with the same elite running ability still intact. The Packers have one of the most valuable QB2s in the league at a ~5th-round-pick trade cost.
Why it matters. A backup QB who doesn't throw INTs is invaluable — teams can deploy him without the fear of giving games away. Willis's 0-INT line in GB across 89 attempts is a genuine competitive advantage for the Packers.
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