When the Tennessee Titans take the field for their Week 8 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, they’ll officially be without their starting quarterback.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Titans have ruled Ryan Tannehill out for their upcoming game due to an ankle injury.
With Tannehill out of the mix, Tennessee is expected to rely on a pair of young quarterbacks in Will Levis and Malik Willis. Levis will reportedly get the start for the Titans, with Willis also expected to receive playing time.
“We’ll figure out the game plan as we work through the week,” Titans head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters earlier this week, according to Paul Kuharsky. “We may run the plays in with them. It could be by series, could be every two series. Could have certain things that we like.
“We’ll see where Ryan is, but again, I’m excited if Ryan can’t play that we’ll look at both of those quarterbacks. We’ll need both of them to help us win.”
Tennessee selected Levis with the first pick of the second round in the 2023 NFL Draft. Despite being projected to be a first-round selection, the Kentucky product saw a significant slide on draft night with the Titans trading up ahead of the second round to secure his services.
As for Willis, Tennessee selected the Liberty product in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Serving as Tannehill’s primary backup last season, he appeared in eight games, including three starts, completing 50.8 percent of his passes for 276 yards and three interceptions, while adding 123 yards and a touchdown on 27 rushing attempts.
With Tannehill currently in the final year of his contract with the Titans, it will be interesting to see how both Levis and Willis perform in his absence. Tennessee enters Sunday’s game sitting in last place of the AFC South at 2-4.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.