ESPN predicts the Tennessee Titans' QB situation in 2023
Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Malik Willis could've been better in his preseason debut — he was pulled by Mike Vrabel for not throwing the ball enough — but he showed enough of his unique skill set to excite fans about the future. Willis specifically impressed with his legs on a touchdown run against the Baltimore […]
Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Malik Willis could've been better in his preseason debut — he was pulled by Mike Vrabel for not throwing the ball enough — but he showed enough of his unique skill set to excite fans about the future.
Willis specifically impressed with his legs on a touchdown run against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night in the second quarter.
That's something you can't coach.
But just because Willis impressed at times doesn't mean he's in line to take over the starting quarterback job in Tennessee anytime soon.
In fact, ESPN thinks a likely scenario next season will have the Titans in the exact same situation they're in right now — with Ryan Tannehill entrenched as the starting quarterback.
ESPN recently predicted what quarterback situations will look like for 17 NFL teams in 2023 and they think Tannehill will once again be under center in Nashville next season.
One more year of Tannehill in 2023. I thought about it, and you can imagine the Titans taking a step back. But they're so well coached, I have a hard time imagining them bottoming all the way out. Twenty-seven million dollars is a pretty good price for a starting quarterback in 2023, so it wouldn't be too surprising for the Titans to run it back with Tannehill even if they have a disappointing season. Willis was thought of as a longer-range project by most people ahead of the draft, so he might not even be ready to take over.
ESPN described Willis starting in 2023 as a "long shot".
While I'm sure plenty of fans will hate this, it's probably the best-case scenario for Tennessee in 2023.
Willis is undoubtedly raw — we saw that on Thursday night — so there's no reason to rush him. Sitting Willis for two seasons could be the best thing for his long-term development.
Of course, this is all dependent on how the 2022 season plays out. If Tannehill shows significant regression this season, the Titans might be forced to move on from him after 2022.
It's far too early to make quarterback predictions for the 2023 season, but it's still always interesting to see how the national media views the situation.
Featured image via George Walker IV-USA TODAY Sports
