NASHVILLE - Saturday afternoon at Nissan Stadium was the first time Titans fans got to lay eyes on their new and improved team in 2024. The open training camp practice was also an opportunity for the players and new coaching staff to make a good first impression before the preseason begins.
Third-year quarterback Malik Willis was one that definitely made the most of his opportunities. In both 7-on-7 and the full-team period practicing third downs, Willis was sharp and aggressive pushing the ball down the field.
Willis made a couple of really impressive throws outside the numbers including a back shoulder strike to Bryce Oliver 20+ yards down the field and a perfectly placed ball while on the run to Tre'Shaun Harrison, threaded between defenders on the sideline.
During the 11-on-11 period where the Titans were practicing third down scenarios, Willis completed three of four opportunities. He went to Kyle Philips across the middle twice and his only incompletion was a perfectly thrown deep ball with good touch that was dropped by Oliver. It would have been a gain of 40+ yards.
This was probably the sharpest I've ever seen Willis in a Titans uniform. Maybe more important than his accuracy was the aggressive approach he had in the pocket. There was no hesitation, fear, or delayed reaction from the 25-year-old quarterback on Saturday.
"I've been really pleased with Malik. I think both of those quarterbacks have really done a nice job," said Titans head coach Brian Callahan after practice regarding Willis and veteran Mason Rudolph. "Malik came out and had a nice day with some aggressive throws. He's really done a nice job knowing what to do and where to go with the football. I'm really pleased with how he played today. It was a good day for Malik."
Let that sink in for a moment...the Titans' head coach is impressed with how well Willis has done at knowing where to go with the football? Talk about a 180 from the narrative that existed surrounding Willis under Mike Vrabel.
But maybe we shouldn't be all that surprised. The jump in competition from Liberty University to the National Football League is a significant one. Willis joined Tennessee with a lot of raw tools that were underdeveloped, and he still hasn't played a ton of football at this level. We saw marginal growth from 2022 to 2023 with Willis that wasn't enough to earn him playing time. It only makes sense that he'd take another step froward this year.
That was the message from Willis when I caught up with him after practice on Saturday. He sounded like a guy with a chip on his shoulder, eager to learn and hungry for more opportunity.
"This is my third offense. I've been able to retain the information from all three and learn the entire process. I've made my mistakes, but I feel like I've learned a lot and I just feel more comfortable making certain decisions," Willis told me about his aggressive decisions and strong practice.
I then asked the third-year quarterback what was most different about 2024 Malik Willis from what we've seen in the two previous interactions. Willis made it clear that the NFL world hasn't seen all of what he can do just yet.
"Y'all haven't seen much. You can see what you can and you can make your best narrative, or best decision on what it was...But at the same time, I haven't played a lot of football at this level," Willis told me.
If there was ever a time for Willis to show improvement, it's now. As things currently stand, Willis is the Titans' third quarterback and fighting with the recently signed Rudolph for the backup job.
While Rudolph is the presumed favorite in that training camp battle, Brian Callahan is on the record of saying that the job is up for grabs. Both QBs will have equal opportunity to earn it.
"It'll still be pretty split evenly," Callahan said last week about QB2 practice reps. "Obviously at some point, just like all position battles, you do have to make a decision. And a lot of that's going to be how they play. They're going to get opportunities to play in games, and that goes a long way in the evaluation process."
Willis has had limited opportunities in the past. As he told me on Saturday, we haven't seen much from him so far. That can apply to both his snap counts and on-field performance. But if you're Malik in 2024, all you need is a fair chance to change the narrative and prove yourself. It sounds like Callahan is going to give him that chance.
As always, let's not overreact to one practice. But I must admit...I'm intrigued by what I saw at Nissan Stadium on Saturday. Malik Willis, you have my attention. Time to stack some days and fight for your place on the 53-man roster.
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