Although the NFL’s 53-man roster cut deadline is set for Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, several teams have started to make roster moves ahead of time.
The Green Bay Packers have taken the initiative to acquire Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis, a player who appeared at risk of being released. Willis was a highly regarded prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft, selected in the third round as the 86th pick overall. Reports indicate that the Packers will obtain Willis in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2025 draft.
Willis, 25, boasts a career total of 550 passing yards and three interceptions from 35 completions on 66 attempts across 11 games, including three starts. He also has 144 rushing yards and one touchdown from 32 carries. This preseason, Willis outperformed many quarterbacks, achieving a passer rating of 104.7 with 205 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, completing 20 of his 27 passes at a rate of 74.1%. However, he lost out on the role of backup to Will Levis to former Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph, who threw for 365 yards and a touchdown, completing 31 of 49 attempts for a 92.6 passer rating.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst’s decision comes after being unimpressed with the performance of his two competing quarterbacks for the backup role behind Jordan Love: Sean Clifford, a fifth-round pick in 2023, and Michael Pratt, a seventh-round pick in 2024.
In their preseason performances, the statistics were as follows:
Clifford: 22 completions on 43 attempts (51.2%) for 207 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception, with a passer rating of 62.8.
Pratt: 23 completions on 35 attempts (65.7%) for 178 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception, with a passer rating of 85.7.
Packers quarterbacks coach Tom Clements, who has previously coached Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and Love, will now work with another young and versatile quarterback.