Despite having Ryan Tannehill entrenched as the starting quarterback, the Tennessee Titans have continued to look to the future in each of their past two draft classes. Last year we saw the Titans select Malik Willis with the 86th pick. This year, we saw Will Levis join the crew as the 33rd pick.
Tannehill is 35. He won’t be the QB in Tennessee forever. The Titans know this, which is why we’ve seen Willis and Levis join the team in the past two years. In a perfect world, Tannehill helps lead the Titans back to the playoffs later this season, but coach Mike Vrabel also knows the importance of having backups ready to play.
Early reports from camp suggest Willis, who’s in his second year with the team, has shown ‘glaring improvement.’ But it’s not just Willis who has generated attention in Titans training camp thus far.
According to The Tennesseean, Levis has also “had his fair share of impressive outings” in his first NFL training camp too. While the newest Titans QB doesn’t quite get the same opportunities as Tannehill does, Levis is controlling what he can for now, knowing he’s competing for the team’s top backup QB role.
With Tannehill entering the final year of his contract, the Titans hope they already have their future QB on the roster. Maybe it’s Willis. Maybe it’s Levis. Whoever emerges as the backup QB will be just one snap away from seeing the field. With Tannehill missing five games last season, the opportunity might even come before the veteran’s contract expires.
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