Malik Willis is expected to return to Nashville next week, albeit in different colors.

Willis made his first start for the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, leading the team to a 16-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts at Lambeau Field.

The Packers’ new backup came into the game after starting quarterback Jordan Love suffered a knee injury in Week 1. Multiple reports indicated Love’s injury status would likely change from week to week, and Love’s injury status was listed as questionable on the injury report this weekend.

If Love is unavailable, Willis is expected to face the 0-2 Tennessee Titans and Will Levis next Sunday – the team that drafted him and the quarterback who was ranked ahead of him last season.

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Malik Willis Stats for Packers vs. Colts

Malik Willis had a very efficient day for the Packers, completing 12 of 14 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown and running six times for 41 yards. Green Bay led 10-0 in the first quarter and controlled the ball on the ground the entire time, and Willis didn’t have to pass often.

The most important thing for Green Bay was that Willis did not lose the ball or get sacked.

When was Malik Willis traded from the Titans to the Packers?

Malik Willis was traded from the Titans to the Green Bay Packers on August 26 in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Tennessee opted to add two quarterbacks to the 53-man roster, starter Will Levis and backup Mason Rudolph. The former Steelers quarterback beat Willis in a preseason battle for the backup job.

“I think Malik has earned the chance to be the backup, whether it’s here or somewhere else,” Titans GM Ran Carthon said two days after the trade. “He’s worked his ass off here and done everything we’ve asked of him.”

In two seasons, Willis struggled to find his stride. As a rookie in 2022, he started three games as a backup to injured QB Ryan Tannehill. The Georgia native went 1-2 in those starts, despite the Titans developing a run-heavy game plan around him in each game. His play was so poor that Tennessee moved Joshua Dobbs into the starting lineup for the final two games of the season.

Willis did not start in 2023 because Levis moved above him in the rankings when Tannehill was injured again.

Where did Malik Willis play college football?

Malik Willis committed to Auburn out of high school and played two seasons in the SEC, primarily as a backup to Jarrett Stidham.

Willis then moved to Liberty, where he spent two seasons as a full-time starter under coach Hugh Freeze in the 2020-21 season.

He was then selected by the Titans in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft at position 86.

This article originally appeared in the Nashville Tennessean: Malik Willis wins Packers’ first start, Will Levis and Titans next