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Rookie quarterback Malik Willis will not, in fact, be the Tennessee Titans’ starting QB tonight against the Dallas Cowboys. Titans' QB1 Ryan Tannehill suffered a devastating ankle injury in the loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the season.
The Titans will instead start Josh Dobbs on Thursday night.
Willis, who started last week for the Titans in their 14-19 loss to the Houston Texans, has been benched this week. The Titans are currently 7-8 and can still qualify for the playoffs.
The Tennessee Titans are currently on a five-game losing streak and Ryan Tannehill being out for the rest of the season has seriously damaged their playoff aspirations.
Malik Willis has started two games in Tannehill's absence but hasn't quite inspired confidence. The lack of weapons around him has been a major reason for his sub-par game.
Derrick Henry is also likely to be ruled out against the Dallas Cowboys. Dobbs, then, will have that much more work to do on offense to overcome a dangerous Cowboys defense.
Tannehill's absence will be massively felt by the Titans, who are likely to miss out on the playoffs this season. In their place, the Jacksonville Jaguars are on their way to winning the AFC South.
Tannehill had a passer rating of 94.6 for 2,536 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions in 12 games this season. In comparison, Willis has thrown for just 276 yards and 3 interceptions.
Tennessee Titans’ starting QB might be different next season
Although one of Dobbs or Willis will be the Titans’ starting QB for the rest of the season, it won't be a surprise if the franchise decides to bring in a new quarterback next season.
They are likely to part ways with Ryan Tannehill and Willis isn't deemed ready yet to be the franchise quarterback. The franchise could still look to keep Dobbs on, but only as a backup.
They could bring in a new quarterback via trade, draft, or free agency as their QB room isn't looking too good at the moment.
The Titans are heavily reliant on the greatness of Derrick Henry and that isn't quite a winning formula in the postseason. They traded away A.J. Brown, which has turned out to be a massive blunder.
Any quarterback that will play for the Titans next season will need more weapons around him. It will be fascinating to see what the front office will do in the offseason.
