Just in case you thought the Tennessee Titans might go with a youth movement at the quarterback position in 2023, it doesn’t appear that will be the case, at least to start.
According to ESPN’s Dianna Russini, veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill will be the starter Week 1 and the selection of quarterback Will Levis was simply Tennessee “looking to the future.”
Absent from Russini’s report is Malik Willis, who head coach Mike Vrabel listed as the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart ahead of training camp.
“Ryan Tannehill is the starter Week 1, that’s what I was told,” Russini said. “This is his team, he is the guy. The drafting of Will Levis is obviously this team looking to the future, knowing that Ryan Tannehill will be playing on an expiring contract and this is his last year in Tennessee. And no movement there if they’re going to extend him just yet, if they even decide to do that. But for now, it’s Ryan Tannehill’s team…”
Update: QB Ryan Tannehill is the "Week 1 Starter" for the #Titans, per @diannaESPN
"This is his team, he's the guy."
There was a lot of speculation about the Titans moving on from Tannehill and even made calls to other teams about him but he remains their starter Week 1. pic.twitter.com/oFUDfK0r9u
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 10, 2023
There have been plenty of rumors and speculation surrounding the Titans possibly trading Tannehill this offseason, but that has not happened and instead he remains on the roster in a contract year.
Giving Tannehill the reins for one more season allows the Titans to bring Levis along more slowly, with the hope he can be ready in 2024 when Tannehill’s contract expires.
And, who knows, maybe the Titans trade Tannehill during the season to get a pick for 2024 and give Levis the keys to the car this season, but that will depend upon how competitive Tennessee is and if there are actually any takers for the veteran signal-caller.
Where all this leaves Malik Willis remains to be seen. The Titans could opt to keep him as a backup for Tannehill in order to avoid throwing Levis into the fire before he’s ready, kind of like what they did with Willis in 2022.
However, I think it’s very possible Willis isn’t on the team when the season starts, whether that be because he was cut or traded.
