Days after the Titans drafted quarterback Malik Willis in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft, Ryan Tannehill told reporters that he was not obligated to “mentor” Willis on the nuts and bolts of being an NFL quarterback.
In this year’s draft, Tennessee once again selected a signal-caller, taking Kentucky’s Will Levis in the second round. On Wednesday, the 34-year-old Tannehill shared what appears to be a similar sentiment about Levis as he did toward Willis.
“Will Levis is a talented guy,” Tannehill told reporters. “Hopefully he adds to the room ... We’ve been down this road before. My job is to go out there and win games.”
A year ago, Tannehill said that “competition” is part of the battle in the quarterback room. However, the veteran made clear that every player at the position is competing to earn the job.
“We’re competing against each other, we’re watching the same tape, we’re doing the same drills,” Tannehill said shortly after the 2022 draft. “I don’t think it’s my job to mentor him [Willis], but if he learns from me along the way, then that’s a great thing.”
Tannehill was not informed that the Titans were drafting Willis before he was selected in last year’s draft, which led to the highly debated comment.
Though the franchise may have once again made waves by selecting a quarterback, Titans coach Mike Vrabel offered a clear view at the pecking order heading into the summer.
“Ryan [Tannehill] will be the starting quarterback on Monday,” Vrabel told reporters after drafting Levis on Friday night. “Malik [Willis] will be the backup. Will [Levis] will be the third quarterback. And what I’ve told them is whatever happens after that will be up to the players. That’s what it’s always been here. That’s what we always want it to be. That’s our job is to bring in competition at every position. It’s not a secret. I hope that by now everybody understands that we have to prove our value to this football team each and every day.”
Last season, Tannehill completed 65.2% of his passes for 2,536 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. The Titans finished the season 7–10, missing out on the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
