Malik Willis may have increased his 53-man roster chances with the Tennessee Titans on Saturday

The Tennessee Titans presumably entered the offseason searching for a new backup quarterback. Head coach Brian Callahan made that evident when speaking with the media at the NFL combine in March. This is what Callahan said the Titans were looking for in Will Levis’ backup.

“You want a guy that can play,” Callahan said. “If they have to play, you need to get out of a three-four game stretch. You want a backup that can play the position. Another important element is how they are in the room with your starter. Having a backup quarterback that helps and assists can be helpful on game day. It’s an undervalued role,” Callahan concluded.

Initial interpretation was that Callahan wasn’t describing Malik Willis. Willis, who has appeared in 11 career regular-season games across two seasons, owns a 53% completion percentage and has yet to throw a touchdown. And low and behold when free agency opened, the Titans signed Mason Rudolph to a one-year contract.

Rudolph possesses a significantly more impressive resume than Willis does. He owns a career completion percentage of 63.5% and has thrown 19 touchdowns versus 11 interceptions. In 2023, Rudolph replaced former first-round pick Kenny Pickett as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback and led them on a three-game winning streak to make the playoffs.

Despite signing Rudolph, Callahan has publicly claimed that the competition to backup Levis remains open and fluid.

“It’s an ongoing evaluation and there’s going to be ebbs and flows and guys will look good one day and not as good as the other,” Callahan told Jim Wyatt in June. “And so, you’re trying to get their totality of work as to who’s best equipped to be the number two.”

If Callahan is being truthful that an open competition is taking place, then Willis shrunk the perceived gap between he and Rudolph during Saturday’s open training camp practice. Willis maximized his opportunities in front of an excited Nissan Stadium crowd. In both 7-on-7 and the full-team periods, Willis flashed everything he struggled with during his first two campaigns in the NFL, and that’s decisiveness, accuracy, and aggressiveness.

Willis’ QB coach Sean McEvoy posted some phenomenal footage from the practice on social media:

Malik Willis from Saturday’s open practice in Nissan Stadium..
7on7 | Team | Situational 3rd Down pic.twitter.com/vvdlBaWT2T

— Sean McEvoy (@QBCoachMcEvoy) July 29, 2024

Willis must continue displaying growth throughout the remaining camp practices and the preseason to convince the Titans he’s turned a corner. Saturday’s open practice was a sign of progression. Sustaining that level of play through the summer would give Willis a legitimate chance to push Rudolph for the No. 2 quarterback spot at final roster cuts.