NFL Rumors: Tennessee Titans Quarterback a Cut Candidate

It appears the Tennessee Titans have already given up hope on one of their young quarterbacks. According to TennesseeTitans.com's Jim Wyatt, 2022 third-round pick Malik Willis "isn't guaranteed" a roster spot heading into the 2023 season.

This weekend's @Titans mailbag is here.

READ https://t.co/0wHcQid5eh pic.twitter.com/C5I9QtNLFA
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) July 8, 2023

"Ryan Tannehill and Will Levis will be on the 53-man roster because Tannehill is the starter," Wyatt explained in his weekly mailbag, "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."

Willis was a much-heralded prospect in last year's draft after a successful two-year stint at Liberty that included 5107 passing yards and 1822 rushing yards. His dual-threat skillset did not translate to the NFL in his rookie season; he netted a miserable 3.20 yards per passing attempt due largely to an unacceptable 14.1% sack rate, and his 4.60 yards per rushing attempt were far too modest to make up for his struggles through the air.

That ugly first year was a big reason why the Titans seized the opportunity to draft Will Levis early in the second round of this year's draft. By many accounts, Levis has the tools and frame to hypothetically develop into a prototypical dropback passer. Given the Titans' investment, he'll get the first bite at succeeding long-time starter Tannehill.

That all leaves Willis in purgatory. Despite already being old news in Tennessee, he's less than one month older than Levis; a change of scenery and a clearer path to a QB2 role may actually benefit him. He could make sense on a franchise with a mobile, veteran quarterback at starter, like the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, or Baltimore Ravens.