NASHVILLE — The continued vagueness, contradictions, and confusion surrounding the Tennessee Titans' quarterback situation is starting to get concerning.

With Ryan Tannehill unlikely to play against the Atlanta Flacons this weekend due to a high ankle sprain, the Titans may have to turn elsewhere. Head coach Mike Vrabel said in a press conference earlier this week that both Will Levis and Malik Willis will play in the game if Tannehill can't go.

But the more we hear from Vrabel and the QBs, the less we know about what Tennessee actually has planned. Perhaps that's the whole point. But are they flying too close to the sun?

---

Everything seemed simple enough when I first heard Vrabel discuss the plan to play both young quarterbacks this weekend. My interpretation was that Levis would be the primary quarterback with Willis being used for special packages that include read options and RPOs. Take advantage of Willis' athleticism and get creative with play design, but get a good look at Levis leading the offense.

Its was the only thing that made sense and it was later (seemingly) confirmed by Ian Rapoport's report that the Titans are "preparing rookie QB Will Levis to start on Sunday."

But Vrabel did some backtracking on Wednesday in his latest meeting with Titans media. Not only did Vrabel avoid committing to a starting quarterback amidst recent reports, he actually suggested that Tennessee could alternate their signal caller by series.

"I never said that Will (Levis) was going to be the starter. Both of them will play if Ryan (Tannehill) can't," said Vrabel. "We'll figure out the game plan as we work through the week. We may run the plays in with them. It could be by series, could be every two series."

Click here to accept Marketing cookies and load this content

---

I have a hard time taking this idea seriously. Surely the Titans wouldn’t actually operate a preseason style “every other series” offense between their two young quarterbacks, right? Right?

Making an NFL debut is already difficult enough. Taking away the continuity of the game by making Levis and Willis interchange “by series” would be doing a huge disservice to two young quarterbacks you are trying to develop. I’m not sure how Vrabel and the Titans coaching staff could justify that one. So frankly, I’m not buying it.

I’m also not buying what both Willis and Levis were selling in the locker room. When I spoke to both QBs, they each claimed to not know what this week's game plan and quarterback rotation would look like. It would be coaching malpractice to not have a game plan for your quarterbacks going into Wednesday practice. I'd be willing to wager that this is just two guys saying what they've been told to say 

But Levis did let on to one piece of information, and it's actually a bit concerning. Levis was asked by reporters if having both him and Malik Willis playing in the game could be a bit of "yin and yang" with their skillsets complimenting each other. But Levis seemed to be under the impression that the game plan for him adn WIllis wouldnt be all that different,.

"We'll see. Pretty much what Malik can do, I can do and vice versa. We're not thinking about it that way. We're preparing for all the plays," said Levis on Wednesday.

If true, this also feels like a mistake. Willis and Levis have very different skillsets. Levis thrives in play-action, has a quick release, and the ability to make any throw. He can struggles with decision making and putting the ball in harms way, but his arm talent pushes the ball down the field and his athleticism is use effectively to extend plays.

Willis, on the other hand, does better operating in shotgun. His legs are his biggest asset and his ability to get to the edge with his speed can break a defense. Willis struggles with seeing the field, getting rid of the ball, and having the pocket presence to escape pressure. They're not the same quarterback.

Obviously every quarterback active on gameday need to know the entire playbook and be ready to step in. But the Titans' playcalling should not look the same regardless of who is under center. 

I liked the idea of getting both young quarterbacks some snaps in the game when I thought it would just be special packages for Willis mixed into the regular script. But if we end up seeing Willis and Levis rotate series, the Titans will have made a huge mistake.

The most likely trade partner for Titans RB Derrick Henry

The NFL trade deadline approaches on October 31 and interest in Tennessee’s star has started to heat up