Malik Willis Agrees to 4-year Rookie Contract with Titans Before Training Camp
July 23, 2022
One of the last remaining unsigned picks from the 2022 NFL draft is finally under contract.
The Tennessee Titans announced Saturday that Malik Willis has signed his four-year rookie deal.
Per Spotrac, the contract value for the No. 86 pick is $5.2 million with a $932,800 signing bonus.
Saturday marked the first day for Titans rookies to report to training camp. Veterans will join them Tuesday.
Willis was the last remaining unsigned player from Tennessee's draft class. There are still nine players who have yet to agree to terms on their rookie deals, including second-round picks David Ojabo (Baltimore Ravens), Jaquan Brisker (Carolina Panthers) and Andrew Booth Jr. (Minnesota Vikings).
Matt Corral, who was selected eight picks after Willis at No. 94 overall by the Carolina Panthers, is the only unsigned quarterback from the 2022 draft.
Going into the draft, there was speculation that Willis could be the first quarterback off the board and potentially a top-10 pick. The 23-year-old was a bit of an unknown by virtue of making his name as the starting quarterback at Liberty.
Willis did show off his tremendous skill set during his two-year stint with the Flames. He threw for 5,107 yards, ran for 1,822 yards and accounted for 74 touchdowns (47 passing, 27 rushing) in 23 starts from 2020-21.
Given the uncertainty around many of the quarterbacks in this year's draft class, several teams were able to take advantage of the board by getting them later than expected before the first round began.
Kenny Pickett was the only signal-caller taken in Round 1 (No. 20 by the Pittsburgh Steelers). It marked the first time since 2013 that only one quarterback was taken on Day 1 of the draft.
The Titans ultimately moved up in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders to select Willis with the 22nd pick in the third round.
Coming off a 12-5 record last season, Ryan Tannehill figures to remain Tennessee's starting quarterback for the entire 2022 campaign. The 33-year-old is signed through 2023, but the Titans could save $17.8 million against the cap if he is released or traded after this season.
Willis' raw potential makes him an intriguing option to eventually become the Titans' starting quarterback. He may not get an opportunity to take the reins in 2022, but offensive coordinator Todd Downing could find ways to use his arm strength and running ability in certain packages.