In Week 15, the rookie quarterback was sacked seven times, one of which resulted in an ankle injury that required him to leave the game. After rookie quarterback Will Levis was injured in Sunday’s loss to the Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans offensive tackle Dillon Radunz took some of the blame. Following the game, Radunz informed reporters:
”It’s probably one of the worst feelings in the world playing this sport. The guy you protect, the guy you are supposed to be holding up (for), he’s supposed to have trust in us. We have to be way better for Will.”
Radunz has played substantial snaps at right tackle, right guard, left guard, and left tackle for Tennessee’s offensive line this season. The Titans have allowed 50 sacks this season, which is fifth in the NFL, and their 10.8 sack percentage ranks third in the league at 10.8 percent.
The Titans were the AFC’s top seed as recently as 2021, but they appeared to understand that they needed to figure out the quarterback position for the long run. Tennessee drafted Malik Willis in the third round of the 2022 draft and Will Levis in the second round of the 2023 draft while Ryan Tannehill was under contract. Coach Mike Vrabel declared in early November that Levis will be the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season.
Levis has certainly showed moments of brilliance. He threw four touchdown passes in his first game as a starter. He also had a fantastic game against the Miami Dolphins in Week 14, passing for over 300 yards. However, it is unclear how long he will be absent due to the ankle injury he received versus Houston. The fact that he needed assistance leaving the field was not promising, but a similar incident for Trevor Lawrence a few weeks ago resulted in no missed time for the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback.
If Levis is unable to play in the next game, the Dolphins will have to choose between veteran Ryan Tannehill and second-year quarterback Malik Willis. Tannehill started the season as the starter, but the team might go with Willis to give him more time to develop. Willis has made three starts in his career.
Loss to Texans officially eliminates Titans from playoffs
It could be time to start a complete rebuild
While the Titans are officially out of the playoffs, there are some promising signs for the future. The team must like what they’ve seen from Levis and will most likely not be looking for a new quarterback. According to OverTheCap, the team will have more than $85.9 million in cap space in 2024, which is the second-most in the league.
The Titans also have some experienced players that can be dealt for draft picks. They have moved safety Kevin Byard this year, and teams are expected to contact Derrick Henry, DeAndre Hopkins, and Harold Landry over the upcoming summer.
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