Titans go with Tannehill, but how close was Will Levis to playing Sunday?
NASHVILLE — As first reported by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Tennessee Titans are expected to start veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill on Sunday with Will Levis nursing an ankle injury. We last saw Tannehill take the field in London against the Baltimore Ravens when he suffered a high ankle sprain that allowed Levis to step […]
NASHVILLE — As first reported by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Tennessee Titans are expected to start veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill on Sunday with Will Levis nursing an ankle injury.
We last saw Tannehill take the field in London against the Baltimore Ravens when he suffered a high ankle sprain that allowed Levis to step in. The rookie made the most of his opportunity and earned the starting job.
But now, ironically, a high ankle sprain for Levis is what allows Tannehill to get back under center in Week 16.
How Close Was Levis to Playing?
Quite simply, it was always going to be Ryan Tannehill on Sunday against the Seahawks and it should come as a surprise to nobody that Levis won't play.
High ankle sprains are nothing to mess with, especially if Levis avoided serious ligament damage. Playing through an injury of that nature would put Levis at risk of making his situation worse. That's not good for anybody.
While the rookie QB did take the practice field on Friday and told the media earlier this week that he wanted to play if he was physically capable, it never felt like a realistic possibility. The Titans likely sent Levis out on the field for team stretch for show. You can then list Levis as limited in practice and questionable for the game without any real consideration to letting him suit up.
From what I saw of Levis on the practice field and around the building, he was still moving very gingerly. He was clearly not in any condition to play in an NFL game.
For Tannehill, every game is a big game moving forward. The 35-year-old quarterback is an unrestricted free agent in the offseason and proving to the NFL world that he still has high quality football is important. Tannehill has a chance to really help his case when it comes to contract negotiations in March.
The Titans and Seahawks kickoff on Christmas Eve from Nissan Stadium at 12 p.m. CST.
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