Titans To Trade QB Malik Willis To Packers
Malik Willis‘ Titans tenure will end after his third preseason with the team. Tennessee’s new regime will move on from the former Jon Robinson-era draftee.
The Titans are trading Willis to the Packers, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports. Tennessee will pick up a 2025 seventh-rounder from Green Bay. Two years remain on the former third-rounder’s rookie contract. Willis heads to a Packers team with some uncertainty behind Jordan Love.
Rumored as a potential first-round pick, Willis endured one of the more memorable draft-weekend slides in recent NFL history. As part of a maligned 2022 quarterback class, the Liberty product slid to No. 86. Willis’ performances with the Titans did well to justify the league’s hesitancy, even as high-profile draft gurus viewed him as a player who was bound for a first- or second-round draft destination. The Packers will take what amounts to a flier, given the trade compensation.
Willis competed with free agency addition Mason Rudolph for the Titans’ backup job this summer. Rudolph, who joined the team on a one-year deal worth $2.87MM, was believed to be in the lead. This will leave the Titans with a question regarding their third-string QB, as only Rudolph and Will Levis are now on the roster. But this cuts the cord on Robinson’s QB options — during an offseason in which Ran Carthon has made sweeping changes on offense.
With Levis also developing, Willis did not make too much sense on Tennessee’s roster any longer. Rudolph is in place as a veteran backup, and after Brian Callahan said the team would let the process play out through the preseason, the Titans figure to be in the QB3 market once the waiver wire presents options.
The Titans’ offense ground to a halt when Willis replaced Ryan Tannehill in 2022. The then-rookie completed just 50.8% of his passes, as Mike Vrabel turned to run-heavy game scripts when the former Auburn recruit was taking snaps. Willis went 1-2 as a Tannehill relief option that year and finished with 10- and 16-pass starts. After a 14-for-23 outing in a loss to the then-lowly Texans, Vrabel demoted him for Josh Dobbs, whom the Titans signed off the Lions’ practice squad late that season. Willis threw just five more regular-season passes as a Titan.
Willis, 25, came to Tennessee after two dominant seasons at Liberty. He finished with a 47-18 TD-INT ratio from 2020-21 at the mid-major program, after not beating out Jarrett Stidham at Auburn. Willis also posted 944- and 878-yard rushing seasons with his second program, totaling 27 rushing TDs. He will attempt to restart his development under Matt LaFleur.
LaFleur has not seen strong returns from Love backups Sean Clifford and seventh-round rookie Michael Pratt. Both struggled against the Broncos during the preseason’s second week, with LaFleur expressing disappointment (via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman) about that effort in a 27-2 loss. Willis will likely back up Love, Schefter adds, though it would stand to be challenging for that setup to commence immediately due to Clifford’s knowledge of LaFleur’s system. But the incumbent is undoubtedly on notice. The Packers used a 2023 fifth-round pick on Clifford and are now guaranteed to cut either he or Pratt — and that is only if the team keeps three passers.
Latest On Titans’ Backup QB Competition
With two preseason games in the books, the Titans have been able to evaluate players at a number of positions which feature ongoing roster competitions. In the case of the backup quarterback gig, though, more time will be needed before a final call is made. 
Will Levis sits atop the depth chart, and his ability to develop under rookie head coach Brian Callahan will be a key storyline for Tennessee this season. Mason Rudolph and Malik Willis continue to vie for the QB2 role, and through the first preseason contest the former had impressed to the point the latter struggled to get reps with the second-team offense. Even though they both played against the Seahawks, no firm decision will be made over the comings days.
“We’ll let this thing play out another week,” Callahan said (via the team’s website). “This time next week we’ll be able to make a decision and determination on who the 2 will be, and what happens with the third spot, if we keep three or practice squad three, or we just go with two.”
Even if Rudolph cements his status as the preferred option to Willis, a decision will need to be made on keeping the Liberty product on the 53-man roster or exposing him to waivers later this month. Indications in June pointed to Tennessee being willing to carry three signal-callers on the roster, but Callahan and Co. could opt for a different route when a final decision is made.
Rudolph signed a one-year deal in free agency; all but $100K of his $2.8MM in compensation is guaranteed. The former Steeler has 13 regular season starts to his name, along with last year’s wild-card contest. The 29-year-old took over from an injured Kenny Pickett and remained atop the depth chart once he was healthy, but Pittsburgh cleaned house under center this offseason.
Willis, 25, was a member of the underwhelming 2022 QB class, and he has not developed as a passer to date. The former third-rounder made three starts as a rookie but he was limited to just five pass attempts last season while spending time behind both Levis and Ryan Tannehill on the depth chart. Waiving Willis would create $466K in dead money charges, making that move more financially feasible than a Rudolph release.
Callahan added the Titans’ starters will get limited reps during their preseason finale, but both Rudolph and Willis will also see action in that game. Only after that contest will a final call be made regarding which passer earns the backup role and whether or not both will be retained on the 53-man roster.
QB Rumors: Dak, Cowboys, Dolphins, Tua, Titans, Rudolph, Willis, Sanders
The Cowboys continue to drag out their complex contract situation, one headlined by Dak Prescott‘s contract-year status and enormous leverage. One of the issues believed to be factoring into the quarterback’s negotiations: when the contract’s escape hatch emerges, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. This would pertain to when guarantees vest. Considering Prescott’s built-in advantages stemming from no-trade and no-tag clauses, along with his lofty 2024 cap number and a $40.1MM void years-driven penalty that would go on Dallas’ cap if he reaches free agency, the ninth-year QB is undoubtedly pushing for most of this contract to be guaranteed. Rolling guarantees, which feature money locking in a year early, are also likely coming up during these talks. The Cowboys prefer five- or six-year deals, though they are not in good position to dictate term length or guarantee structure to their longtime passer.
As could be expected, a host of execs are critical of Jerry Jones for slow-playing this. Some are puzzled (via the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora) the Cowboys owner has lost this much leverage with Dak. The Cowboys are believed to be closer on terms with CeeDee Lamb, but one GM told La Canfora that Jones “totally screwed this up” re: Prescott. A $60MM-per-year contract, or something close to it with a player-friendly guarantee structure, will almost definitely be necessary for the Cowboys to keep Dak away from free agency come March.
Here is the latest QB news from around the league:
- Tua Tagovailoa‘s Dolphins deal features a rolling guarantee structure. The Miami QB’s $54MM 2026 base salary will shift from guaranteed for injury to fully guaranteed in 2025, Florio notes. Of Tua’s 2027 base salary ($31MM), $20MM is guaranteed for injury; $3MM of that total shifts to a full guarantee by 2026 before the remainder vests in 2027. A $5MM roster bonus is also due in 2027. Tagovailoa’s 2028 base ($41.4MM) is nonguaranteed. Miami has set up a potential 2027 escape hatch, though the southpaw starter would still collect more than $150MM from 2024-26 in the event the team moved on three years down the road. Two void years are included to spread out cap hits, the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin tweets.
- Mason Rudolph has displayed accuracy at Titans camp, to the point Titans.com’s Jim Wyatt notes Malik Willis has been unable to gain ground — even though he has looked more comfortable in Year 3 — in the battle for the QB2 job. In the team’s preseason opener, Rudolph came in first and went 10-for-17 for 126 yards. Willis entered midway through the third quarter, going 5-for-7 for 38 yards (but rushing for 42). The Titans gave Rudolph a one-year, $2.8MM deal with $2.7MM guaranteed. A 2022 third-rounder, Willis is tied to a $985K base salary. Cutting the erratic third-year QB would cost the Titans only $466K, and it is certainly worth noting neither this coaching staff nor GM Ran Carthon was in Nashville when Willis was drafted. The Titans are open to carrying three QBs, but will this staff continue to develop an inherited arm given Carthon’s Will Levis investment?
- NFL evaluators are split on Shedeur Sanders‘ stock for the 2025 draft. While ESPN.com’s Jordan Reid slots him as his No. 2 quarterback (behind Georgia’s Carson Beck) for the ’25 class — though, as a late-Round 1/early-Round 2 prospect — one NFL exec tabbed the Colorado QB as a Day 2 pick. Another evaluator labeled the returning Buffaloes passer as a first-rounder based largely on what is viewed as a weaker quarterback crop. Deion Sanders‘ influence on his son’s career is certainly not lost on execs, Reid adds, as the NFL legend/Colorado HC has already said he does see a cold-weather team as a fit (despite the duo’s current Boulder, Colo., location). Sanders’ impact on his son’s value has come up in NFL circles already and will likely remain a talking point moving forward.
Titans Considering Carrying Three QBs?
With the Ryan Tannehill era over in Tennessee, Will Levis is set to take on starting quarterback duties across a full campaign in 2024. The Titans have a pair of signal-callers behind him on the depth chart, but both could end up surviving roster cuts.
Tennessee selected Malik Willis in the third round of the 2022 draft, making him a member of a class which was not well regarded before or after the event. The 25-year-old made three starts as a rookie, but down the stretch it was clear he did not have the trust of Mike Vrabel‘s coaching staff. Last season, Willis made just three appearances and attempted five passes with Tannehill ultimately making way for Levis as QB1.
The Titans, to no surprise, have not re-signed Tannehill (who remains on the open market). The team did, however, bring in an experienced backup option in the form of Mason Rudolph. The ex-Steeler inked a one-year deal with a base value of $2.87MM to head to Nashville. Rudolph, 28, will spend training camp competing with Willis for the backup spot.
Regardless of how that battle turns out, though, all three passers could make the team’s initial 53-man roster. Team reporter Jim Wyatt writes the Titans could carry both Rudolph and Willis even if the latter loses out on the QB2 gig. Willis has two years remaining on his rookie contract and keeping him in the fold would allow him to continue developing under new head coach Brian Callahan. On the other hand, the Liberty alum’s underwhelming pro career to date could make him a relatively safe candidate to clear waivers at the end of the summer.
New rules allow teams to use an unlimited number of practice squad elevations for signal-callers to dress on gamedays as an emergency third quarterback. As a result, many NFL roster are expected to include only two passers on the 53-man roster at the start of the season. Plenty is yet to be determined, but the Titans could be on track to serve as an exception in that regard.
AFC South Rumors: Titans, Burks, Scruggs
The Titans seem confident in moving forward with second-year passer Will Levis as their starter under center. With Levis’ relative inexperience in the NFL, though, the backup quarterback job has become an important one.
In nine starts as a rookie, Levis struggled with a 3-6 record and only completed 58.4 percent of his passes. Not counting a Week 16 game in which he only saw the first two drives of the contest, Levis averaged 224 passing yards per game in an offense spearheaded by Derrick Henry. He showed considerable poise for a rookie, though, throwing eight touchdowns to only four interceptions and adding a rushing score to his total, as well.
So, despite Levis’ seemingly cemented status as QB1, the backup quarterback job will be a crucial one for the Titans in 2024, and new head coach Brian Callahan told the media that veteran Mason Rudolph and recent third-round pick Malik Willis will compete for the honor, per Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. In two years with the team, Willis has seen limited usage with uninspiring results. Discounting garbage time or gadget play appearances here and there, Willis has made three starts, all coming in his rookie season. In those starts, Willis completed a combined 25 of his 49 pass attempts and didn’t once eclipse 100 passing yards as the offense was focused around Henry.
Rudolph saw his highest usage in 2019 with the Steelers, making eight starts in 10 games as an injury replacement for Ben Roethlisberger alongside Devlin Hodges. Despite going 5-4-1 as a starter while throwing 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions coming into 2022, Rudolph found himself seemingly out of consideration for the starting job as Mitchell Trubisky and Kenny Pickett combined for just 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. As those two continued to struggle to produce in 2023, Rudolph helped revive one of the league’s least efficient offenses as it circled the drain, rattling off three straight wins to help keep Mike Tomlin‘s streak of winning seasons alive before ultimately losing the team’s first-round playoff game.
Now, Rudolph and Willis will duke it out for backup duties behind Levis. If Levis struggles, Rudolph provides an ability to fill in as a proven starter. Willis will have a chance to show what he can provide, as well, as he continues to develop at the NFL level.
Here are a couple of other rumors coming out of the AFC South:
- Staying in Nashville, Callahan stressed in an interview this week that wide receiver Treylon Burks will have to contribute on special teams in order to justify a roster spot this year, according to Easton Freeze of Broadway Sports Media. We profiled Burks recently as a trade candidate as the acquisitions of Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd pushed him further down the depth chart after a disappointing start for the former first-round selection out of Arkansas. While the Titans may not be willing to give up completely on Burks, they do recognize that his continued presence on the roster means he will need to find other ways to contribute if not on the starting offense.
- Lastly, former second-round pick Juice Scruggs debuted late into his rookie season last year, starting at left guard for the Texans‘ final six games of the season after coming off injured reserve and replacing an injured Tytus Howard. Originally projected as an NFL center coming out of Penn State, Scruggs is expected to return to his natural position and start for Houston in 2024, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.
Titans Rumors: Henry, Skoronski, QB
For the last few weeks, it has seemed like a foregone conclusion that veteran running back Derrick Henry is leaving Tennessee, with many even tracking the potential sale of his Nashville home and the purchase of a new home Dallas, where he has trained for years in the offseason. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler delivered the report many Titans fans were fearing today, claiming a low likelihood for Henry to return to Tennessee in 2024. He claims “the door is not completely closed,” but all signs continue to point towards the nearest exit.
The 30-year-old rusher heads to free agency as arguably the best running back option available in a loaded group. According to projected market values on Spotrac.com, Henry is poised to make the most in 2024 out of a position group that includes the likes of Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, D’Andre Swift, Austin Ekeler, and Tony Pollard. The site projects Henry to be the only one of that group to make north of $10MM in 2024.
The two-time NFL rushing leader and 2020 Offensive Player of the Year was connected to the Ravens before the trade deadline and has continued to be linked to Baltimore since projections for his departure began. Plenty of other teams will vie for Henry after he finished second in the league last season with 1,167 rushing yards.
Here are a few other rumors coming out of Tennessee:
- At the NFL scouting combine last week, new head coach Brian Callahan had an opportunity to speak in front of the media. Callahan spoke on one of his young, new players, offensive lineman Peter Skoronski, in Indianapolis, stating that he believes that offensive guard is Skoronski’s best position. Despite spending 2022 as college football’s most dominant pass blocker as an offensive tackle at Northwestern, Skoronski fell victim to concerns about his 32-inch arms, considered too short for an NFL tackle. After getting selected No. 11 overall by Tennessee, Skoronski would go on to become the Titans starting left guard, where he would grade out as the league’s 29th best guard out of 79 graded players. Whether or not Skoronski has aspirations of kicking out to tackle at the NFL level, it sounds like Callahan intends to keep him inside.
- Lastly, Titans general manager Ran Carthon made headlines when making the statement recently that the team intends to bring in another quarterback to compete this offseason, according to Titans staff writer Jim Wyatt. With long-time veteran starter Ryan Tannehill‘s contract expiring, the team is left with only second-year starter Will Levis and former third-round pick Malik Willis at quarterback. The team apparently feels generally comfortable heading into the year with Levis as the penciled-in starter, and Carthon believes Willis has developed over his two years in the league. Still, Tennessee will want to bring in some competition. It’s unclear if they want someone like Kirk Cousins or Baker Mayfield to come in and compete for a starting job or if they would rather bring in someone like Jacoby Brissett or Tyrod Taylor, who could serve as a more reliable backup should Levis be injured or fail to play up to par. This seems like a perfect opportunity for Joe Flacco, who, since leaving Baltimore, has made a point to pursue jobs in which he has a strong chance of starting games. Regardless, there should be some new faces in red jerseys at camp this summer.
Titans Planning To Start Will Levis In Week 8; Malik Willis Expected To See Time
OCTOBER 27: As expected, the Titans ruled out Tannehill for Week 8. After not missing a start during his first three seasons with Tennessee, the former injury-prone Miami starter has seen ankle trouble sideline him again. This will be Tannehill’s sixth ankle-driven absence in the past two seasons.
OCTOBER 25: Exiting their bye at 2-4, the Titans made a notable trade Monday in sending All-Pro safety Kevin Byard to the Eagles. On the heels of that decision, Tennessee is expected to roll with an unorthodox plan at quarterback in Week 8.
Mike Vrabel said both Malik Willis and Will Levis are likely to play against the Falcons, but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds the rookie is expected to make the start in the event Ryan Tannehill cannot go. Dealing with an ankle injury, Tannehill is unlikely to play against Atlanta. The Titans may go as far to alternate Levis and Willis by series, Vrabel added (via ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport), though the sixth-year Tennessee HC did not confirm Tannehill would miss the game.
When Tannehill went down during the Titans’ loss to the Ravens in London, Willis received the first call. The 2022 third-round pick worked as Tannehill’s backup for much of last season, though he experienced initial struggles acclimating to the NFL. Willis still beat out Levis for Tennessee’s QB2 job coming into this season, but the Titans will take a longer look at the second-round rookie. The No. 33 overall pick is on track to see more time than Willis, per Rapoport.
The Titans are in the unusual position of attempting to develop two quarterbacks behind Tannehill. While Willis qualifies as a developmental option, he did not threaten Tannehill’s job security last season. Willis’ first-year woes (50.8% completion rate, 4.5 yards per attempt) led the Titans to sign Josh Dobbs off the Lions’ practice squad late last year and use the latter as their starter in Weeks 17 and 18. Willis also arrived under since-fired GM Jon Robinson, whereas new GM Ran Carthon selected Levis in April.
Closely linked to a quarterback trade-up in Round 1, the Titans engaged in talks with the Cardinals about moving up to No. 3. C.J. Stroud was believed to be the team’s target, but when the Texans chose Stroud at No. 2 overall, the Titans are believed to have backed out of trade talks and regrouped. Tennessee chose guard Peter Skoronski at No. 11 but made its QB strike early the following night, reengaging with the Cards by moving up eight spots for Levis, who was heavily rumored to be a first-round pick.
Mentioned as a Colts target at No. 4 overall, Levis indeed had fans in Indianapolis’ building. But the Colts look to have run a bit of a smokescreen aimed at drafting Anthony Richardson. A two-year starter at Kentucky, Levis tumbled out of Round 1 and hit the developmental track as the other top QBs in this class received calls to start in Week 1.
The Titans entered their bye week bracing for another Tannehill absence. The 12th-year quarterback missed two sections of last season because of ankle trouble, the first of which coming around midseason and leading Willis into the lineup. Vrabel likened Tannehill’s current injury to the one he sustained midway through last year, as opposed to the malady that required a season-ending surgery last December. Tannehill, 35, is in the final season of a four-year Titans contract. Levis seeing extended time this season makes sense, and signs of a long Levis look open the door to more seller’s trades from a Titans team that made several cost-cutting moves this offseason.
DL Denico Autry Drawing Trade Interest; Titans Open To Moving Derrick Henry?
Although Denico Autry is in his age-33 season and operates as a sidekick of sorts on a Titans front seven anchored by Jeffery Simmons and Harold Landry, trade interest has emerged. With Autry in a contract year, teams are monitoring him as a deadline buy.
The 10th-year defensive lineman has become a hot name of sorts ahead of the Oct. 31 deadline, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post notes. Should the Titans be prepared to unload the experienced pass rusher, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds this would be an interesting market.
During a period in which the Titans missed on a few pass rushers — Bud Dupree, Jadeveon Clowney, Vic Beasley, Cameron Wake — since-ousted GM Jon Robinson did well to land Autry, who has been a central component on Tennessee’s defense despite moving toward his mid-30s. Autry signed a three-year, $21.5MM deal ahead of his age-31 season, with the contract coming during the same week in which the Titans overpaid Dupree. But Autry helped compensate for that miss, totaling 17 sacks and 37 quarterback hits between the 2021 and ’22 seasons. Thus far this year, the versatile D-lineman has four sacks and nine QB hits.
Autry is tied to a $6.75MM base salary, giving other teams a price tag barely north of $3MM to pick up in the event of a post-Week 8 trade. A former Raiders UDFA who has been a late-bloomer, Autry has done his best work in the AFC South. A midcareer Colts stay drove up his market in 2021, and he has not slowed down with the Titans. Earning another midlevel contract in 2024 will likely be on the table for Autry, but the issue now will be if the Titans like an offer enough to move on early.
Tennessee traded Kevin Byard to Philadelphia on Monday, a move that will likely prompt teams to investigate if the 2-4 club will be willing to deal away more parts. Ryan Tannehill‘s expected Week 8 absence will lead to the strange setup of Will Levis and Malik Willis each playing — perhaps alternating series, per Mike Vrabel — against the Falcons. That may be by design to showcase Willis, with Fowler adding the second-year QB is more likely to be dealt than Tannehill. The latter’s injury makes it fairly certain he will stay in Tennessee for the season’s remainder, but with the 35-year-old passer on an expiring contract, the Titans will have big questions to answer at the position soon. Considering Willis’ early-career form, the Titans will not recoup anything close to the No. 86 overall pick they invested last year.
Derrick Henry joins Tannehill and Autry on an expiring deal. The Titans reupped Tannehill and Henry during the 2020 offseason, tagging and then extending Henry in July of that year. The dominant running back came up loosely in trade rumors before the draft, but a report last week indicated the team was more likely to stick with the potential Hall of Famer. But Fowler views Henry as a player the Titans would likely consider trading, adding that some league personnel believed the team was open to doing so this offseason.
The two-time rushing champion received a raise for the 2022 season, but he remains attached to the four-year, $50MM extension he signed three summers ago. Henry, 29, is playing on a $10.5MM salary. With more than $5.5MM due between Weeks 9 and 18, the Titans would stand to run into an issue in an effort to unload one of their all-time greats. Execs around the league believe this will be an impediment to the point Tennessee would likely need to pick up some salary to move on, Fowler adds, and it is far from certain the team would be willing to do that in order to cut ties with a three-time Pro Bowler.
The Titans have third-round pick Tyjae Spears in place once Henry departs, and while teams do not make a habit of re-signing workhorse backs ahead of age-30 seasons, it is not a lock the parties do not discuss a third contract before free agency. For now, however, Henry is playing out a contract year and looms as a fringe trade candidate for a team in transition.
Titans Bracing For Ryan Tannehill Absence
Two Titans quarterbacks are in development behind Ryan Tannehill. After the organization has attempted to back-burner the training of Malik Willis and Will Levis, one of the two will likely need to start when the team comes off its bye in Week 8.
The Titans are bracing to be without Tannehill due to the high ankle sprain he suffered Sunday in London, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. Tannehill injured the same right ankle on which he underwent surgery. The 12th-year quarterback suffered multiple injuries to this ankle last season, the first costing him midseason time and the second leading to the season-ending procedure.
Tannehill’s latest injury is not believed to be as serious as the one that shut down the five-year Titans starter, per Fowler, though a multi-game absence is in play. But Mike Vrabel compared it to the malady that sidelined his starter in October 2022. Even with the Titans in their bye week, it appears likely Tannehill will not be ready to go after an extra stretch of rest.
Tennessee moved Willis into its lineup against Baltimore. While the 2022 third-round pick completed four of five passes, much his 80 yards came on a Tyjae Spears catch-and-run. The Liberty alum took four sacks in two drives against the Ravens. Willis looked incredibly raw when called upon as a rookie, almost definitely costing the Titans a win in Kansas City and then seeing the team use Josh Dobbs to close out the season despite the latter being signed off the Lions’ practice squad days before. Levis has not taken any regular-season snaps, with Willis having beaten out the second-round pick for the QB2 job during the preseason.
The Titans are giving each young QB extra work during the bye week, per Jim Wyatt of the team website. Developing two QBs has introduced an interesting dynamic, one pass-game coordinator Charles London called “unusual.” Vrabel was present when the Titans stopped Willis’ slide last year, while GM Ran Carthon had no hand in the Willis pick. Carthon engineered a trade-up for Levis at No. 34 — coming after steady buzz the Titans would trade up in Round 1 for a Tannehill heir apparent. Once the Texans chose C.J. Stroud at No. 2 overall, the Titans were believed to have ended their effort to climb up the board in Round 1.
Tannehill’s four-year, $118MM contract expires at season’s end, making a midseason audition from one or both of the backups pertinent to the team’s future. The Titans were believed to have dangled their starter in trades before the draft, and it is no secret the former top-10 pick’s Titans future is cloudy as a lame duck. Tannehill, 35, will need to bounce back upon return from this injury to solidify a 2024 free agent market. Although injuries led Tannehill out of Miami, he stayed healthy from 2019-21 to lead Tennessee to three playoff berths. But ankle trouble has intervened regularly over the past year.
With Tennessee at 2-4 and likely needing to start one of its unseasoned reserves, the prospect of a late-season audition — along the lines of what the Falcons provided Desmond Ridder last year — could be in play should the team drift off the contention radar. The Titans have qualified for the playoffs or been in that mix since 2017, but they made several cost-cutting moves this offseason — a few of which coming on the offensive line. Should losses pile up, the retooling team will face decisions at the trade deadline (regarding non-QB pieces) and down the stretch (at quarterback).
QB Malik Willis Not Guaranteed To Make Titans Roster
Despite being selected in the third round of the 2022 draft, Malik Willis isn’t a lock to make the Titans roster. While Jim Wyatt of the team’s website believes the quarterback will ultimately make the squad, he cautions that the “roster spot isn’t guaranteed.”
The Titans drafted Willis as more of a long-term project instead of a definitive successor to Ryan Tannehill, but the Liberty product was thrown into the fire as a rookie. Willis ended up going 1-2 in his three starts, completing 50.8 percent of his passes for 276 and three interceptions. He also added 123 rushing yards and one touchdown on 27 attempts.
Tannehill struggled through injuries and saw a drop in production in 2022, but the Titans will bring him back for at least one more season in 2023. At one time, the organization likely envisioned Willis stepping into a full-time role for the 2024 campaign, but things quickly changed during this past year’s draft.
Will Levis fell out of the first round, and the Titans made a move to acquire the No. 33 pick and select the Kentucky quarterback. Levis is now the clear future at the position for the Titans, leaving Willis on the outside looking in. Coach Mike Vrabel previously labeled Willis as his QB2 and the rookie as QB3, but it now sounds like the second-year quarterback will be fighting for his roster spot.
Passing game coordinator Tim Kelly and quarterbacks coach Charles London reportedly are not sold on Willis, and even with the new rule that provides an extra roster spot for a third QB, Wyatt thinks the 24-year-old will have to earn his way on the team. On the flip side, Wyatt also thinks Willis looked better than Levis during minicamp, and the writer is more confident now than he was before that the team will ultimately carry all three quarterbacks.
Fortunately for the Titans, it doesn’t sound like Willis is distracted by his uncertain roster status.
“I don’t really get into all that,” Willis said (via NFL.com). “I just try to go to work every day. … It’s a results-based business. It doesn’t matter what I think, it doesn’t matter what you think, it just is. I am just focusing on what I can control.”