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Mike Vrabel not ready to commit to Will Levis as Titans' QB2

profilephotocropby:Suzanne Halliburton•08/26/23•

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will levis
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Will Levis missed two preseason games for the Titans this month. So he’s given Tennessee coach Mike Vrabel no reason to name him as the second-team quarterback.

It means that as the Titans head to their season opener on the road against the Saints, the team has no firm QB2. It’ll either be Levis or Malik Willis backing up starter Ryan Tannehill. Maybe Levis, the Titans’ second-round draft pick, is Tennessee’s quarterback of the future. But he’s not the current quarterback.

In fact, Willis might be ahead of Levis, who is recuperating from a thigh injury. Levis returned to practice this past week. But Levis saw no action against the Patriots Friday night. Willis enjoyed the majority of the snaps.

“I thought that Malik took a big step yesterday,” Vrabel said Saturday. “Unfortunately, you have the turnovers, but there was a lot of cool stuff that happened after that. . . . Malik has to make some better decisions and we’ll see where Will’s at this week.”

Malik Willis took most of the snaps at quarterback for the Titans Friday night against the Patriots. Mike Vrabel hasn’t decided whether Willis or Will Levis will be the backup to Ryan Tannehill this season. ( Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Willis started two of Tennessee’s three preseason games. Against the Patriots, he completed 15 of his 20 passes for 211 yards. He threw two touchdowns, but also had two interceptions.

Meanwhile, Will Levis played in only one game this month. That was the preseason opener against the Bears. He was nine of 14 for 85 yards with an interception.

The Titans selected Willis in the third round of the 2022 draft. Collegiately, Willis first played for Auburn, then transferred to Liberty after he lost the starting job to Bo Nix. As a rookie last year for the Titans, he played in eight games, starting three.

However, the Titans moved up in this year’s draft to select Will Levis. Most projected the Kentucky Wildcat star as a probable first round pick, maybe even cracking the top five. But he slipped through the first evening of the draft. The Titans stopped the fall when they selected him at pick No. 33.

Tannehill is 35, so he’s nearing the end of his career. He played in a dozen games in 2022, with an ankle injury limiting his time on the field. So finding his replacement likely is a high priority for the Titans, whether it’s Will Levis or Malik Willis. Tannehill took three snaps Friday night, then gave way to Willis. The Titans open against the Saints on Sept. 10, so there is some time before Vrabel needs to fill out the depth chart.