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Watch: Titans' Malik Willis Throws Dime for First TD

Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis is aiming to secure his spot on the 53-man roster.
Zach Dimmitt|
Aug 17, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis (7) catches a snap in the second quarter of the game agains the Seattle Seahawks at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Casey Gower-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 17, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis (7) catches a snap in the second quarter of the game agains the Seattle Seahawks at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Casey Gower-USA TODAY Sports | Casey Gower-USA TODAY Sports

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Tennessee Titans

Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis is looking to stake his claim as the backup to Will Levis ahead of the regular season.

The third-year signal-caller out of Liberty has got some tough competeition for the QB2 spot in Mason Rudolph, but Willis is showing in Sunday's preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints why he's deserving of a roster spot.

After taking over the reins from Rudolph late in the third quarter, Willis and the Titans offense went three-and-out on his first drive, but he quickly made up for it on the next possession. He started things off with a 15-yard run before the Titans continued with a steady dose of carries on the ground.

Willis then took things to the air, as he found rookie receiver Bryce Oliver for a 34-yard touchdown down the right sideline. The score put the Titans back in front at 23-20 with 9:40 to play in the fourth quarter. Though it's just preseason, the play marked the sixth touchdown pass of Willis's NFL career. All have come in the preseason.

Take a look:

Willis started Tennessee's second preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks last week, something that coach Brian Callahan said he "earned."

"Malik will get his chance," Callahan said. "He's rotated some with the two's in the last two days. He will start the game with that group. He's earned the right to have an opportunity to play with that group and I'm looking forward to seeing what he does."

Against Seattle, Willis went 12 of 16 passing for 116 yards and one interception while adding four carries for 30 yards.

The third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft has appeared in 11 career games while going 35 of 66 passing for 350 yards, zero touchdowns and three picks. He's tallied 32 carries for 144 yards and one touchdown on the ground.

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Zach Dimmitt
ZACH DIMMITT

Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7

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