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With Ryan Tannehill’s Week 8 status uncertain, Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel declined to name his starter if the veteran can’t play.
Tannehill left Week 6’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens early with an ankle injury. Vrabel told reporters that the 35-year-old won’t practice Tuesday.
If Tannehill sits, Vrabel said he plans to use Malik Willis and Will Levis in Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Titans’ HC Mike Vrabel told reporters that he expects both QBs, Malik Willis and Will Levis, to play against the Falcons if Ryan Tannehill doesn’t. Tannehill is not practicing today due to an ankle injury.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 24, 2023
Replacing Tannehill on Oct. 15, Willis completed four of five passes for 75 yards. The second-year pro also lost 30 yards on four sacks.
Willis started three games in place of Tannehill last season, but Vrabel had the third-round pick run an extremely conservative offense. He completed just 31 of 61 passes for 276 yards and no passing touchdowns all season.
Getting the nod in a pivotal Week 16 contest, Willis went 14-of-23 for 99 yards and two interceptions in a 19-14 loss to the Houston Texans. Joshua Dobbs started the final two games, both losses.
Tennessee invested another Day 2 selection on a quarterback when drafting Levis at pick No. 33 this year. The former Kentucky star, who was widely expected to get his name called in the first round, has yet to see the field for the Titans.
That could change this weekend. According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Tannehill is unlikely to play due to a high ankle sprain. The insider said Tannehill is currently in a cast for an injury that’s similar, but less significant than the one that caused him to undergo surgery last year.
It’s unclear how Vrabel would delineate the snaps if he sticks with his plan to utilize Willis and Levis. Teams rarely split the workload evenly between two quarterbacks, so it’s possible one only sees a few designed packages with the others playing most of the game.