Tennessee Titan rookie quarterback Malik Willis captivated football fans during his final game of the NFL preseason. Willis threw some darts, scrambled like crazy, and was refreshing to a Tennessee Titans fanbase that has sought out a franchise quarterback for over a decade now. However, the Titans have a complicated and, quite frankly, depressing history with rookie quarterbacks. It can be difficult to interpret the excitement around a rookie and if it is based solely on hope or if evidence backs up a quarterback’s performance. Comparisons between Willis and the late Steve McNair, the only quarterback to take the Titans to the Super Bowl, appeared rampantly during Willis’s preseason debut.
As a Titans fan, reading the words “Malik Willis is like Steve McNair” is similar to opening the Ark of the Covenant (the Hebrew Bible version; not the Raiders of the Lost Ark version). However, as a general football fan, fantasy football manager, skeptic, and someone who has been through several round one Titans quarterback picks, let us collectively pump the brakes.
In order to understand Malik Willis, let’s review a brief and painful history of the Tennessee Titans quarterbacks including McNair and up to Willis.
A 16-year Quarterback Carousel
When the Tennessee Titans literally locked quarterback Steve McNair out of their training facilities in 2006, they unknowingly began a 16 year (and counting) search for a franchise quarterback. When decorated University of Texas quarterback Vince Young was picked third overall by the Titans in the 2006 NFL Draft, McNair’s heir apparent seemed secured. Young was successful for a few years before eventually being plagued by injuries and never quite staying healthy and consistent enough to fill the void McNair left.
Thus began a rinse and repeat cycle of injured, lackluster drafts and veteran journeymen as starting quarterbacks: Kerry Collins, Matt Hasselbeck, Jake Locker, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Zach Mettenberger, and Marcus Mariota. The back-ups are an even more formidable list of “NFL Players You Forgot About or Did Not Know Existed”.
Jake Locker getting destroyed by Troy Polamalu
Marcus Mariota was the most recent “promised son” as the second overall pick, after Jameis Winston, in the 2015 NFL Draft. As an attendee of the draft in Chicago, I thought “Finally! We have OUR guy!”. Then continued to watch the team struggle for four years as Mariota struggled through serious injuries and never really quite got traction with the Titans.
In 2019, Marcus Mariota was injured in a game against the Denver Broncos. Backup quarterback Ryan Tannehill stepped in and has served as the starting quarterback for the Titans ever since. While Tannehill is not necessarily a top choice for QB1 in fantasy football, he offers the Titans organization something they lost while on the hunt for their golden goose: stability and consistency. Tannehill has been able to lead the Titans to consecutive division titles. Of course this effort would have been impossible without Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown, and other key Titans players. However, it is not a bad spot for the kid who was once a red-shirted freshman that often had to compete for the starting quarterback position at Texas A&M.
Yet, it is evident that Tannehill will not be the quarterback that can take the Titans to the “the next level” beyond a divisional championship. In the words of little JP in Angels in the Outfield “It could happen,” but to maximize Derrick Henry’s power, the Titans must act swiftly to find a quarterback that is a regular difference maker.
Drafting Malik Willis
In the past, quarterbacks that were drafted in early rounds (Jake Locker and Marcus Mariota) of the NFL draft has burned the Titans. Vince Young was the most recent exception, but frequent injury ultimately affected his playing abilities and longevity in the NFL. In 2022, the Titans drafted Liberty University starting quarterback Malik Willis round 3, pick 86. Willis is entering the 2022 NFL season with an ADP 259 overall and a QB ADP 38. His overall ADP dropped by almost 90 points in the past week after Tannehill was named the starter. The rookie sits just behind Mitch Trubisky, Jacoby Brissett, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Desmond Ritter on ADP.
Prior to the pre-season, I shared my doubts about Willis on the Razzball Fantasy Football Podcast. First, Liberty University is not known for the football players (the last first-round player drafted from Liberty University was TE Eric Green in 1990). However, Liberty University acquired Hugh Freeze as a head coach recently. Willis was in experienced hands with Freeze. Regardless, scouts pointed out some issues Willis will need to overcome to become a successful QB in the NFL. Some of these issues include shakiness in the pocket, inconsistent throwing mechanics, and in general, a very messy delivery, if delivered at all, when the pressure is on. Based on scout reports, Willis would be an investment that might not show a return for around two years.
During Titans preseason games, Willis started every game and often displayed some of the less desirable tendencies that scouts noted. When pressured in the pocket, he could be shaky and at times handle the ball like a hot potato. However, scouting reports do not highlight or capture Willis’s ability to adapt and learn. Across three preseason games, Willis slashed his pass time by an average of 1.29 seconds.
Interesting @PFF stat reflects progress we've seen from #Titans QB Malik Willis in his decision making.
Avg. amount of time before throwing:
Preseason Wk 1 — 4.37 seconds
Preseason Wk 2 — 4.05 seconds
Preseason Wk 3 — 3.08 seconds— John Glennon (@glennonsports) August 29, 2022
Willis not only took less time to throw, his targeting improved greatly. In one instance, Willis delivered a laser pass to rookie WR Treylon Burks who ran in the ball for a touchdown. In a previous week, Willis had the same opportunity and declined to throw the ball.
This play shows progression from Malik Willis. He had the same look last week (just before the Chig Okonkwo TD), but didn't throw it to Treylon Burks. This week, he saw, believed it and let it rip. https://t.co/eFBj7zwaby
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) August 28, 2022
The really spectacular side of Willis was on full display in his running game. In the preseason opener against Baltimore, Willis led a seven-play, 72-yard drive that he finished off with a scrambling touchdown.
.@malikwillis wowed this preseason. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/7963VOwwdV
— NFL (@NFL) August 30, 2022
Willis dazzled Titans fans with his running game so much that they grasped on to something familiar: Steve McNair.
McNair vs. Willis vs. The Idea of “Running Quarterbacks”
A quick google search of “Malik Willis Steve McNair” presents at least a page full of articles and videos from fans and analysts comparing the two quarterbacks. While I understand the urge to jump to the comparison, it is not necessarily fair or accurate.
Steve McNair is often called a “running quarterback”, but his passing game was an essential tool in his success story. The “Air McNair” nickname was from his deep passing game, which led him to be the 2003 NFL Passer Rating Leader (Ryan Tannehill shared the same title in 2019, snuggly between Drew Brees in 2018 and Aaron Rodgers in 2020). McNair had a career completion rating of 60.1%. This number improved steadily over his career and increased to 64% during the last year of his career. Currently, Willis has a 54.9% passing completion out of the preseason, and he was also sacked 9 times in three preseason games. Comparatively, Lamar Jackson was only sacked 9 times his rookie year in 16 games played.
McNair’s continuously improving passing game also allowed him to continue playing in the NFL for 12 years. The same is true for players like Russell Wilson and Tom Brady. Michael Vick, Randall Cunningham, and Daunte Culpepper, had limited playing time and NFL career life-spans because of injury. While all signs point to “yes”, only time will really tell if Malik Willis will be able to make this pivot.
McNair’s Other Legacy
Finally, McNair performed in a time and environment that, while not that long ago, was different for black quarterbacks. In that sense, McNair was a trailblazer, whether he felt comfortable with that title or not. Then Atlanta Journal Constitution journalist Terrence Moore captured McNair’s struggles surrounding the perception of black quarterbacks most succinctly:
A 1995 article from The Atlanta Journal Constitution about McNair’s draft position with an interesting last paragraph.
McNair went on to be the first black quarterback to win the AP NFL MVP, which he shared with Peyton Manning. It was not until 12 years later that another black quarterback, Cam Newton, won the award outright. Patrick Mahomes (2018) and Lamar Jackson (2019) followed Newton. In the almost 20 years since McNair shared the award with Peyton Manning, progress has been slow for black quarterbacks, but there has been progress as some of the more remarkable quarterbacks in recent years (many mentioned in my last sentence) are black. In articles about and interviews with McNair from his college years to the early 2000s, McNair largely avoided discussions of race in the press. Additionally, the press and coaching staff were awkward and mostly unequipped to handle conversations, often opting for what many refer to as “color blindness”.
None of this is to say black quarterbacks have it easy now. To this day, McNair still holds the title the highest drafted player from a historically black college or university (HBCU). Patrick Mahomes publicly acknowledged that there are still differences in descriptions of and criticisms against black quarterbacks. In an interview with Lebron James, James asked Lamar Jackson about biases against the black quarterback in the NFL. Jackson said “It’s still there. That’s why I need that championship.” Willis will have to deal with similar pressures and criticisms because, quite frankly, there will always be folks that will stereotype based on race, ethnicity, gender, and other qualities. Willis has more of a roadmap from Jackson, Mahomes, Winston, Newton, Wilson, McNair, and so on.
Let Willis Play
Comparisons between Steve McNair and Malik Willis are exciting and meant to be complimentary. However, it is important to let Malik Willis be just that: Malik Willis.
Why?
Along with his intelligence, tenacity, and willingness to learn, Willis has more resources, support, and knowledge than Steve McNair ever had. As such, Willis has the propensity to be better than McNair. Personally, I will be looking at those around Willis’s ADP (Trubisky, Brissett, Ritter) and see how he performs comparatively when he gets the chance.
Do not shy away from Willis if you are in a dynasty league. Hell, even if you need a QB3 in other leagues, keep an eye out for Willis. This exciting player could be a boon to fantasy managers and Titans fans alike, and I think he is going to kick ass.
What are some rookie preseason appearances that stood out to you? Share in the comments or reach out on Twitter (@keelin_12ft).
