Will Levis did not beat out Malik Willis for the backup role out of training camp, but after two starts in relief of Ryan Tannehill, the second-round rookie will make a major jump. Mike Vrabel named Levis his starter going forward.
Once Tannehill recovers from his latest ankle injury, Vrabel confirmed (via ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport) he will be the backup. This will be Tannehill’s first time in a backup role since the opening weeks of the 2019 season, when Tennessee kept Marcus Mariota in place as the starter.
Like Mariota in 2019, Tannehill is in a contract year. Following the ex-Dolphins starter’s surprisingly productive (and surprisingly healthy) stretch upon replacing Mariota four years ago, the Titans gave Tannehill a four-year extension worth $118MM. This came just before the start of free agency in 2020, allowing the team to use its franchise tag on Derrick Henry. Tannehill started 61 games for the Titans over the past five seasons. Barring a Levis injury, it looks likely he will not start a 62nd for the team.
Although Warren Moon and Dan Pastorini started more games than Tannehill with the franchise, only Steve McNair outranks the 2012 first-rounder for QB starts as a Titan. The team was believed to have considered Tannehill trades this past April, when it was regularly linked to moving up for a first-round quarterback. New GM Ran Carthon was believed to have bowed out of the running for a Round 1 move up when the Texans chose C.J. Stroud. In Round 2, however, Carthon resumed the pursuit by trading up with the Cardinals for Levis.
As Tannehill moves toward free agency, Levis joins Stroud and Anthony Richardson as long-term options under center in the AFC South. The No. 33 overall pick, Levis took a more complicated route to this point. He was widely expected to become a first-round pick, with the Colts frequently connected to the Kentucky product. After Indianapolis went with Richardson, Levis tumbled down the board and out of the first round. The Titans traded a 2024 third-rounder to move up for Levis, who has an extended runway to show he can be Tennessee’s unquestioned starter for the ’24 season.
In two games as a starter, Levis has completed 60.3% of his passes — at 7.4 yards per throw — and tallied four touchdown tosses compared to one interception. The Titans topped the Falcons in Week 8, with Levis hitting DeAndre Hopkins for three scores, and narrowly lost to the Steelers in Week 9. Had the Titans drifted off track to start the season, an extended look was always likely for Levis. Now that Tennessee sits 3-5, the team will see what Levis can offer down the stretch.
Both Tannehill and Willis were acquired during GM Jon Robinson‘s run. With Carthon drafting Levis, this could begin a new era for the Titans. Willis remains on Tennessee’s 53-man roster, but after Levis leapfrogged him, the raw passer has a cloudy future in Nashville. Tannehill has now missed seven games over the past two seasons due to ankle trouble. That will likely affect his 2024 free agency bid, though teams should still be interested in a quarterback who piloted the Titans to three playoff berths and the 2019 AFC championship game.
WOW common sense………..do not see much of that these days
Gasp! How surprising! Best landing spots for Ryan could be jets right now if he demands release.
Tannehill has no future with the Jets with Rodgers waiting to return. If he doesn’t mind train wrecks, he could go to Vegas and probably win a starting job over the always injured Jimmy G.
If you’re worth over $100 (or at lest should be) would you want to QB behind the Jets line, or hold a clip board for the remainder of the season? I know which option I’d choose.
He’s a free agent either way. He’s auditioning for other teams in 2024. Rodgers is still more than likely out for whole year
You would play behind that line? With only 1 receiver & no TE’s? Jets are done, why get beat up is my point. Rest up for the remainder of the season, then choose your next team. That would be my play.
We’ll see. I doubt Saleh moves off of Zach. As bad as he is he knows the playbook.
For 2 career starts, Levis looks really good. Big arm and playing with confidence. Hope he continues to grow.
He will. With a decent o line and Vrabel he has a bright future
Much respect to Tannehill for earning that job when most people expected him to just be a backup. He was very good for the Titans for a while, especially when they had healthy receivers and Henry to use. Hopefully for them Levis improves and is able to build on his athleticism. By all accounts he is a very intelligent player who is very coachable. The question now becomes how much the Titans will count on Henry and Hopkins to be foundational support for the rookie versus the option of electing to rebuild in the near future with younger picks.
Tannehill as the backup in Pittsburgh next year behind Pickett? Presuming Trubisky is a cap cut.
Tannehill is better than Pickett, and that’s not a positive for either QB
When Tannehill was paired with a healthy Derek Henry, he was probably the best play action quarterback in the league. It’s indisputable that having the league’s best power back helps with ensuring stacked boxes, but Tannehill himself still had to be good at play fakes and anticipating receivers’ placement on routes.
Pittsburgh would like to be that same sort of team-one with a strong run game and play action, but their awful offensive line and inconsistent rushing attack really hold them back. If the Steelers’ offense ran like it should, Tannehill would be a good fit, but without a good rush attack, he would be under more duress. Tannehill can play decently in non play action scenarios, but he really is most effective with a good run threat.
Any better QB would have been better than Tannehill if they had Henry to PA too. It was Henry not Tannehill
It was both. Yes, Henry made PA better. I acknowledged that. Yes, Tannehill still executed well. Football does not exist in a vacuum.
I think Tannehill was a quality, serviceable, NFL QB. Without Henry he didn’t scare many NFL defenses. Wasn’t a big game player in the playoffs. Had a better situation in Tenn than Miami.
Agreed.
Tannehill could be next year’s Carson Wentz, i.e., sits by the phone all summer waiting to get a call to be someone’s starter… but the phone never rings.
That photo is ridiculous. The Oilers name should have remained in Houston. Tennessee has zero connection to the Oilers name and history. They are the Titans, pure and simple.
The Houston Oilers became the Tennessee Oilers in 1997, playing home games in Memphis. They moved to Nashville in 1998 and were renamed the Titans in 1999. Last month the Titans wore an Oilers throwback kit for their home game vs. Atlanta — even had the derrick painted on the 50-yard line. And yes, Oilers club records are considered Titans club records.
As always, Dumb Sports Fans shoot their mouth off with no regard for facts.
Whenever I hear about the Titans QB situation I go back to 2 years ago when a certain content creator who had NFL ties was clamoring for the Giants to pick Malik Willis in the 1st round with the #5 overall pick. He claimed Willis would be the ‘steal of the draft’!
My sources said that in interviews Willis did not have any football IQ. Couldn’t read defenses, couldn’t digest game plans and got by in college (at a lower level of football) by his athletic ability. That is the reason he fell all the way to the 3rd round and had the Titans not taken him would have probably not been drafted.
The Tians coaches after seeing Willis for a full year up close chose to draft Levi’s in the 2nd round.