My Two Cents: Titans Still Long Way Off From Deciding on QB2 Situation

NASHVILLE — The preseason is over now, and it's about to get real for the Tennessee Titans. This is a critical year for a team seemingly on the cusp of transition, and winning is an absolute must to stop a full rebuild.

Most people outside of Nashville — and a whole lot of people even right here — don't think this team can contend in the loaded AFC this season. The quote-unquote experts like Jacksonville by a long margin to win the AFC South and they think there are at least a half-dozen AFC teams with better wild-card chances.

It's up to the Titans — especially their veterans — to prove them wrong.

Last year went off the rails as soon as veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill got hurt. He needs to be good in 2023. So does running back Derrick Henry, who — just like Tannehill — is in the last year of his contract. And new free agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins needs to prove that he's still a top-5 receiver in this league.

Because if that trio isn't great, we could have problems. That showed last year, when the Titans opened the season with a 7-3 mark, only to lose their last seven games and get booted from the playoffs on the final day of the regular season.

This team — at least on the offensive side of the ball — belongs to RyanTannehill, who turned 35 earlier this summer. He is the clear QB1, and that's not even in doubt. He's been healthy all summer after offseason ankle surgery, and he's been throwing with his receivers most every day. He's looked good in camp and in scrimmages, and seems ready to go.

And that's a good thing.

Why a good thing? Because we still really don't know what we have behind him in second-year quarterback Malik Willis and rookie Will Levis. We know that the 2022 season turned into a complete disaster the second Tannehill got hurt. That can't happen again.

Let's be real clear on a couple of things. Willis, a third-round pick out of little Liberty University in 2022, was nowhere near ready to play NFL football last year when Tannehill first went down. That's not uncommon, nor was it any surprise at all. It's very hard to just jump in as a rookie and be good, especially without high-level college training. Willis was massively in over his head.

But let's keep to the focus to 2023. Willis got a ton of work during training camp, running with the twos most every day in practice and playing half of the first preseason game in Chicago and just about all of the games with Minnesota and New England.

What did we learn? That he's a lot better than he was a year ago. The game has slowed down for him, and he makes better decisions. The deer-in-headlights Willis has changed. A year of maturity will do that for you.

Let's not forget that he led a 12-play scoring drive right out of the chute against Chicago on Aug. 12, going 75 yards against the Bears' first-string defense. He led multiple long scoring drives in wins over Minnesota and New England as well.

But he's also thrown interceptions, four in three games to be precise. They were ALL his fault, but he's the quarterback, and those picks go in his column. There is no stat for tight ends for ''interceptions caused.''

And the turnovers drive coach Mike Vrabel nuts.

""You've got to eliminate the mistakes,'' Vrabel said after the win over the Patriots, where Willis and two touchdown passes and passed for 211 yards, but also had two interceptions. "The one there to (tight end) Josh (Whyle), I thought that the protection kind of dictated that throw, that miss. And then the other one, you just have to make a better decision.

"I loved what he was able to do after that. He competed and finished and kept his eyes downfield, but you've just got to take care of the football.''

Vrabel was even more blunt on Saturday, refusing to commit to naming Willis the backup to Tannehill in Week 1 when the Titans open the season in New Orleans against the Saints.

He was very clear in saying that Willis is much improved over a year ago and has done some good things this summer, but it's also obvious that a perfectionist like Vrabel hates four interceptions in three games.

In a regular season game, turnovers are a killer. And that's why Vrabel still doesn't trust Willis to go out and win games for the Titans if Tannehill goes down.

Hopefully, it's all a moot conversation and Tannehill can stay upright all season long. No one's ever worried about Tom Brady's backups, or Aaron Rodgers' They're out there every week, and Tannehill has been mostly available, too.

But if he's not? Vrabel is still very much leaving the door open for rookie Will Levis, who was drafted in the second round when the Titans traded up to get him after his epic Day 1 fall in the 2023 NFL Draft. They liked how he kept better and better every week in training camp, and were disappointing that a thigh injury kept him out of the final two preseason games.

Getting reps as a rookie is critical. He needed them, but now all he'll see are some practice reps. Still, Vrabel talks about Levis ''being far ahead'' of where Willis was this time a year ago.

As I said, hopefully Tannehill plays every down and we don't have to worry about it. But if we, there's a decision to be made.

Willis will probably get the first crack, especially if it comes in September, but I'm still thinking the Titans consider the best long-term option. They're both on the roster, which is no surprise. They have to keep all three quarterbacks.

And that's more about 2024.

Tannehill is in the last year of his contract, and it's doubtful he's back and gets another contract unless he plays great and the Titans make a playoff run. If not, it's time to turn to the corner.

Is this Willis' team long-term. or Levis'? I'm more a believe in Levis, but we'll see. For now, let's hope Tannehill stays healthy and we don't even have to talk about it.