When it comes to the Tennessee Titans under head coach Mike Vrabel, a few things are certain- opponents will get heavy doses of Derrick Henry, the defense will be hard-hitting and the offense will be boring and predictable.
In the six years under Vrabel, the Titans have gone a very respectable 50-38 and won two playoff games in five appearances. But with the team currently sitting at 2-4, things are looking bleak for the Titans.
This is why it’s time for Tennessee to let Malik Willis shine.
The Titans traded up to draft Willis with the 86th overall pick in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He was considered a raw talent with the NFL QB potential in the mold of Lamar Jackson. But his selection was criticized by some including CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco
“He’s not a quarterback,” exclaimed Prisco during a CBS Sports mock draft. “What he did at Liberty is not close to playing quarterback in the NFL. He looks like a running back. He tucks the ball, one read and run. At least Josh Allen stood in there and made throws. I don’t like this pick. I don’t like the player. I think he is a second or third-round pick in my book.”
While he got the round right, Prico’s assessment was still harsh.
To be fair, last year Willis did nothing to counter Prisco’s evaluation, starting three games and going 1-2 while throwing for 276 yards, 3 INTs and 0 TDs.
But this past preseason, Willis showed promise, playing in three games and throwing for 485 yards with 3 TDs and 4 INTs.
Again, nothing to brag about but enough to make fans believe that he was progressing. And while he began the season behind incumbent starter Ryan Tannehill, he deserved the chance to get on the field to showcase what he could do.
Against Baltimore on October 15th, Willis got that chance after Tannehill got hurt and went 4-5 for 74 yards in the team’s lethargic 24-17 loss to the Ravens where Tannehill threw for 75 yards and the team remained in the game thanks to kicker Nick Folk.
Now coming out of its bye week, Tennessee faces an uncertain future.
The offense is horrible, Tannehill remains injury-prone, Henry will be 30 in January and the team is heading in the wrong direction, particularly on offense. With the NFL trade deadline arriving on October 31st, first-year GM Ran Carthon has some hard choices to make, including a fire sale. Already, rumors are flying that the Ravens are exploring a trade for Henry and the Steelers are one of the teams interested in WR DeAndre Hopkins.
Another decision is who will be the starting quarterback while Tannehill recovers. Initial reports are that rookie QB Will Levis, whom the Titans drafted out of Kentucky with the 33rd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft in April, will start but that Willis will play as well.
I say Malik Willis deserves the start and the time to develop.
Oftentimes, young Black QBs aren’t given adequate time to develop, are thrust into systems that hinder their talents or aren’t surrounded with the necessary talent.
Willis is currently sitting in this situation.
Even with Henry and Hopkins, the offense remains stagnant and devoid of young talent and overall creativity.
A former star at Liberty College, Willis threw for 5,107 yards, 47 TDs and 18 INTs while completing 62.4% of his passes in his two years under center for the Flames. He also rushed for 1,822 yards and 27 TDs.
With the Titans needing to jumpstart its season before it devolves into an ugly one, now is the perfect time to establish stability by handing the reigns to Malik Willis.
In August, I wrote this story about giving Willis a chance. I compared his situation to that of Jalen Hurt and the late, great Steve McNair, both of whom were heavily scrutinized and criticized for two seasons before finally reaching their stride in year three.
Malik Willis is in year two, and if given a sincere opportunity to develop this year, he has the chance to shine in year three like Hurts and McNair.
This is why now is the time for the Titans to let Willis loose and let him do his thing.
I’m sure Eagles and McNair-era Titans fans would agree.
