Mike Vrabel's latest update on Tennessee Titans backup QB race: Malik Willis or Will Levis?
Ryan Tannehill is going to start. Beyond that, the Tennessee Titans aren't saying much about their backup quarterback situation.
The Titans open the 2023 season on the road versus the New Orleans Saints on Sunday (noon, CBS). Titans coach Mike Vrabel has been coy all offseason about whether second-year quarterback Malik Willis or rookie passer Will Levis has the edge in the competition to be Tannehill's backup. On Friday, in his last media availability before the Saints game, Vrabel still didn't commit to one backup.
The decision for Week 1 is expected to be announced about 90 minutes before kickoff Sunday.
Willis played nearly every snap of the Titans' final two preseason games because Levis was limited by a quad injury. Willis led all AFC players in passing yards this preseason, but also threw an interception in each of the Titans' three preseason games.
The Titans traded up to draft Levis in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft and picked Willis in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Both young players took second-team reps in training camp before Levis' injury.
Levis spoke to media about his injury Friday. He didn't outline how it happened beyond the fact that it was "football related." But he said he started to feel 100% healthy in the last few weeks and was grateful for missing the two preseason games he did as it allowed him the time he needed to rest up.
"Just getting to that point now where it feels really good," Levis said. "But mentally I feel like I did a really good job of staying involved and doing everything I could while I was coming back."
A new NFL rule for 2023 allows teams to activate an emergency third quarterback who isn't on the active gameday roster in the event that the team's two active quarterbacks both get injured. Because of this rule, the Titans would be allowed to keep Levis or Willis inactive Sunday to not count against the gameday roster but insert him in a game in the event of injuries.
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Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Mike Vrabel's latest update on Titans backup QB race: Willis or Levis?
