The Tennessee Titans have decided to use Ryan Tannehill as a backup quarterback for the remainder of the season despite the fact that he has been removed from the injury report. Rookie Will Levis will assume the starting quarterback position, the Titans announced on Tuesday.
Tannehill sustained an ankle injury during Week 6, and it was actually the second-year quarterback, Malik Willis, who initially stepped in. However, following a bye week, the Titans turned to Levis, and his NFL debut was nothing short of impressive. In his first game, he threw four touchdowns, three of which found their mark in the hands of DeAndre Hopkins. Levis completed 19 of 29 passes for 238 yards against the Atlanta Falcons.
However, the challenge escalated in Week 9 when they faced the Pittsburgh Steelers. Levis completed 22 of 39 passes and led only one touchdown drive, which featured a rush by Derrick Henry, though he managed to amass 262 passing yards.
Head coach Mike Vrabel explained, “I think that’s the best move for our football team right now.” Prior to Tannehill’s injury, this season had been a significant struggle for him, with only two touchdowns thrown against six interceptions.
While Tannehill has been a cornerstone for the Titans, the team’s playoff success has been limited with him as the quarterback. Although they reached the AFC title game in 2019, they lost their first playoff game in the subsequent two seasons, even with the No. 1 seed in the AFC in 2021.
Notably, Will Levis was once considered a top pick in the NFL Draft, with rumors even suggesting he might go as the first overall pick. However, he unexpectedly fell to the 33rd pick. Television cameras captured him waiting anxiously in the draft’s waiting room as other quarterbacks like Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, and Anthony Richardson were selected ahead of him.
On the second day of the draft, the Titans made a move to acquire Levis, picking him early in the second round. Coach Vrabel also indicated that both Levis and Malik Willis, a third-round selection from Liberty, could see playing time in the future. In his two full seasons as Kentucky’s quarterback (24 games), Levis threw for 5,232 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions, boasting a completion rate of 65.7 percent.
