Green Bay acquired Malik Willis from Tennessee for a 2025…

Green Bay made the trade only days before the 2024 regular season, sending Tennessee a 2025 seventh-round pick for Malik Willis. At the time, Willis was a former third-round quarterback who had struggled to establish himself with the Titans. The Packers needed a more dynamic backup behind Jordan Love and believed their offense could simplify the game for Willis while still using his arm strength and mobility.

The payoff came almost immediately. Love injured his knee in the opener, forcing Willis into the lineup with little time to learn the system. Willis responded by helping Green Bay win both of his starts. For the 2024 season, he completed 40 of 54 passes for 550 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, producing a 124.8 passer rating. He also rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown. Green Bay later noted that the rating was the highest single-season mark in NFL history among quarterbacks with at least 50 attempts.

Willis continued to provide efficient reserve play in 2025, reinforcing that the first season was not merely a two-game fluke. He gave the Packers exactly what teams hope to buy cheaply at quarterback: a backup capable of preserving the season when the starter is unavailable and an athletic changeup who can function within the offense.

Tennessee’s side is less damaging than a typical losing trade because the Titans had already determined Willis was not their answer and were unlikely to give him meaningful snaps. A seventh-round pick was a reasonable salvage return at the time. Still, the asset was later moved, while Willis generated actual wins and high-level efficiency for Green Bay.

The existing A/C split remains appropriate. Green Bay obtained valuable quarterback insurance for one of the smallest possible draft costs. Tennessee’s grade stays respectable because moving on made roster sense, but the realized value clearly belongs to the Packers.