In 2022, Ryan Tannehill sought after not anything to do with the brand new man on the town, Malik Willis — he’s Black. In 2023, Tannehill went out of his means to ensure other people know that he helps the more moderen man on the town, Will Levis — he’s white.
These things writes itself.
“I don’t assume it’s my activity to mentor [Willis],” Tannehill stated final yr. “But when he learns from me alongside the way in which, that’s a perfect factor.” On the time, Tannehill used to be 33, and the 22-year-old Willis were taken by means of the Tennessee Titans within the 3rd spherical with the 86th total select within the 2022 NFL Draft. As you’ll see, Tannehill didn’t adore it. It used to be just like the plot of the 1999 cult vintage “Any Given Sunday” going down in real-time.
“Child’s respiring down my neck,” says Cap Rooney — performed by means of Dennis Quaid — as he’s the outdated white quarterback who’s about to be replaced by means of the younger athletic Black one, Willie Beamen — performed by means of Jamie Foxx.
“He’s been actually just right all through this entire procedure with maintaining the connection skilled, whilst on the similar time, serving to me out in how he can,” the now 35-year-old Tannehill stated about Levis final week.
“I wanna take care of the location with elegance, proper?” Tannehill additionally added final week. “It’s no longer a amusing scenario to be in, however I need to be a professional and take care of it with elegance and nonetheless be a man that he can glance to. So, no longer a great scenario, however you realize, I would like to check out to take care of it smartly.”
The veteran is taking this tough, which is extraordinary for the reason that he as soon as performed extensive receiver in faculty and is aware of what it’s love to take a quarterback’s activity. However what’s clearer is how he’s treated issues with Levis higher than how he did with Willis, and his language is evidence of that.
However past who Tannehill has publicly supported, and why, the location appears even worse after Levis’ efficiency within the Titans’ 20-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Levis used to be 19-for-39 for 199 yards, 0 touchdowns and one interception in a recreation during which he threw extra incompletions than finished passes.
This isn’t to mention that Willis has gave the look of the way forward for the franchise, both. He’s performed in 11 occupation video games and long gone 35-for-66 for 350 yards, 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. His lone ranking has come at the floor, however he additionally has 4 occupation fumbles. In Levis’ 3 occupation video games, he’s long gone 60-for-107 for 699 yards, 4 touchdowns and two interceptions.
It’s simple to look what’s going down right here and why the writing’s at the wall for Tannehill as Levis is atmosphere himself as much as be the long-term resolution at quarterback for the Titans.
However in spite of everything, we’ve watched the entrance administrative center in Nashville draft younger quarterbacks in back-to-back drafts. One is obviously doing higher than the others. However in a season during which I in the past wrote about how the league’s present state of the Black quarterbacks is constructed on a space of playing cards — in spite of 14 of them beginning in Week One — what’s going down in Tennessee is the newest instance of what I used to be looking to get other people to know. Ryan Tannehill knew what he used to be doing when he threw his improve at the back of Will Levis and no longer Malik Willis. And whilst Levis is also the simpler choice, what does it say when Black quarterbacks can’t even get supported in their very own “QB rooms?” It says a veteran like Tannehill is keeping up growth in additional tactics than one.
