A former NFL third-round draft pick and star college quarterback may soon be let go by the team who selected him a year ago.
Last year, the Tennessee Titans used the No. 86 selection on Liberty quarterback Malik Willis. But when the Titans used the No. 33 pick in this year’s draft on Kentucky QB Will Levis, it spoke volume: They clearly don’t view Willis as a starting QB in this league.
In a weekend mailbag piece for the Titans’ team website, Jim Wyatt responded to a fan’s question on Willis and stated that his spot on the roster is by no means secured:
“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.”
Barring any surprises or unexpected developments, 2019 Comeback Player of the Year Ryan Tannehill will open as Tennessee’s Week 1 starter for the fourth straight year. The soon-to-be 35-year-old is entering the final season of a four-year, $118 million extension he signed in 2020.
Willis started three games in place of an injured Tannehill last season, and he appeared in eight games altogether. Willis completed 50.8 percent of pass attempts for 276 yards, zero touchdowns, and three interceptions to go along with 123 rushing yards and one rushing TD.
The Titans opted to start journeyman Josh Dobbs in their Week 18 win-or-go-home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a 20-16 Tennessee loss. Clearly, it didn’t take the Titans long to lose patience with Willis. And now we’ll see if he even makes the final roster with training camp right around the corner.
