More drama could be headed to the Tennessee Titans quarterback room in training camp this summer. The Titans have been aggressive in trying to upgrade their quarterback situation after needing to cut their losses with the Marcus Mariota draft pick being a bust.
The Tennessee Titans have been aggressive at quarterback
Ryan Tannehill has been a solid starter for the Titans under head coach Mike Vrabel. Tannehill, who struggled early in his career with the Miami Dolphins, resurrected himself with the Titans, willing the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2019. Tannehill is 37-20 as a starter for the Titans and owns an 89-33 touchdown to interception ratio there.
The team has fallen short in the postseason, though, and in most of those games, the Titans needed to rely on running back Derrick Henry for their offensive production. They scored just 29 points in their previous two playoff games.
The Titans drafted Malik Willis in the third round last April as a potential replacement for Tannehill, now in his mid-30s. Willis replaced Tannehill last season when Tannehill had to finish his season on injured reserve with an ankle injury. Willis struggled and was benched in favor of Joshua Dobbs.
This offseason, heavy trade rumors were swirling around Tannehill. The Titans took advantage of Will Levis’ epic fall into the second round and drafted him with the 33rd overall pick. But the Titans’ quarterback situation is still a mess after OTAs.
NFL News: Tennessee Titans could cut Malik Willis
According to Jim Wyatt with the Titans, Willis is in jeopardy of being cut from the 53-man roster in training camp. However, Wyatt said Willis outperformed Levis in training camp:
“Malik’s roster spot isn’t guaranteed, even with the new rule. Ryan Tannehill and Will Levis will be on the 53-man roster because Tannehill is the starter, and Levis was the 33rd overall pick and he’s going to be given time. So, Malik needs to keep improving, and earn his spot. Right now, I think he will be on the 53 himself, and I wasn’t thinking that way the beginning of May. Malik outperformed Levis this offseason, and definitely showed improvement from a year ago. But things can change.”
What in the world are Titans fans supposed to make of that?
Should there be concern about Will Levis?
Competition is a good thing, but it’s troubling if no clear quarterback emerges from Levis or Willis. The Titans have spent a lot of draft capital on the quarterback position over the past two years. (The Titans sent the Arizona Cardinals multiple picks to trade up for Levis.) One of their quarterbacks picks needs to hit.
The Titans have to hope Levis can improve in training camp. But the situation in Nashville doesn’t look great if the Titans have to cut a quarterback that looked much better than their second-round pick a few weeks ago.
The quarterback situation should give more pause to the Titans free agent target, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many games has Malik Willis started in the NFL?
Malik Willis has started in 3 games in his NFL career, with 234 yards, 3 interceptions, and a passer rating of 39.0.
What college did Malik Willis go to?
- Malik Willis went to Liberty University after transferring from Auburn. He excelled in college, graduating and becoming the 9th player in program history to be drafted into the NFL. In his final season, Willis accounted for an impressive 65.9% of the team's offense and led the Flames to victory in the LendingTree Bowl, where he was named the "Most Valuable Player".
