Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Byard was mic’d up for the team’s final preseason game of 2022 against the Arizona Cardinals, and in the clip we hear him compare quarterback Malik Willis to Titans great Steve McNair.
Willis saved his best for last in preseason Week 3, completing 15-of-23 passes for 131 yards and one touchdown to one pick, while also adding 79 rushing yards on four carries.
The highlight of Willis’ performance was a 50-yard run which set the Titans up for a touchdown. It was after that play that Byard made his comment comparing Willis and McNair.
“He can run now,” Byard said. “He’s got some Steve McNair to him. I’m telling you. He’s got some Steve McNair to him.”
Check out the full mic’d up clip featuring Byard below.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard the Willis-McNair comparison, as NFL Network analyst Bucky Brooks also made the correlation back in May.
“When I think about an NFL comparison for Willis, I’m going to go with the legend, Steve McNair,” Brooks said. “Much like Air McNair was able to dazzle, not only with his rugged playing style and his legs, he also had big-time arm talent, which allowed him to throw the ball over the top of defenses early and often. I believe Malik Willis has that kind of ability, and it’s one of the reasons why I expect him to be a star at the next level.”
With Willis’ big arm and dynamic athleticism, two things that were on full display during the preseason, it’s easy to see why Byard and Brooks are thinking McNair when they watch him.
After a successful camp and preseason, Willis won the backup quarterback job over Logan Woodside, leaving him one Ryan Tannehill injury or meltdown away from seeing the field in 2022.
