While the Titans drafted Malik Willis in the third round last year, the quarterback’s future with the team is very much in question.
Willis started three games for Tennessee last year, but it was clear toward the end of the season that he wasn’t yet ready to play. So, the Titans brought in Joshua Dobbs to start their last two games to finish out the season while Ryan Tannehill was injured.
Then Tennessee selected Will Levis early in the second round of this year’s draft, ostensibly making him the club’s quarterback of the future. Tannehill, 35, is entering the last year of his contract.
But Willis told reporters in Nashville on Wednesday that the circumstances haven’t changed his approach.
“Go to work the same way. It don’t matter,” Willis said, via Ben Arthur of FoxSports.com. “It’s the same amount of competition. You’re competing against yourself every day. You don’t go competing against guys. You don’t go looking over your shoulder. Just try to get better.”
Willis completed 51 percent of his passes for 276 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions last season. Willis rushed for 123 yards with a touchdown, fumbling three times. He was also sacked 10 times in his eight appearances with three starts.
With the emergency quarterback rule now in place, teams may carry three QBs on their 53-man roster just in case. But given that Tennessee also has a new G.M. in Ran Carthon, the club may need to see plenty out of Willis for him to retain that roster spot at the start of the regular season.