Tennessee Titans News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis. Andrew Nelles-USA TODAY Sports

Three must-watch players in Titans’ first preseason game

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 8/11/23

The Tennessee Titans travel to Soldier Field to face the Chicago Bears Saturday at 12 p.m. CDT in their first test of the 2023 preseason. Here are three must-watch players for Tennessee:

Malik Willis, quarterback

With Ryan Tannehill expected to sit this one out, Willis and Will Levis will take center stage. Willis has seemingly been the odd man out since the team took Levis with the 33rd overall pick in April’s draft, and he very well may be fighting for his job at this point.

The question with Willis is just how much growth has he had from Year 1 to Year 2? While the 24-year-old has looked more confident commanding the offense during camp and appears to have improved his accuracy, he’ll have to prove it in a live game before he starts getting the benefit of the doubt. The raw skills are clearly there, but Willis has to prove to show he’s comfortable in the pocket, he can progress through his reads, and that his first thought isn’t to tuck it and run.

#Titans HC Mike Vrabel on rotation Will Levis and Malik Willis between the 2nd and 3rd team pic.twitter.com/TdIfUZnLZM
— Easton Freeze (@eastonfreeze) August 2, 2023

Will Levis, quarterback

Tennessee traded up in the second round to grab Levis after a somewhat surprising fallout of the first round, and with no fifth-year option at their disposal, it would behoove the Titans to see as much of Levis as possible so they know exactly what they have in the 24-year-old rookie.

Levis has had some standout practices during camp, and his arm talent, command of the huddle and quick understanding of the offense and pre-snap positioning have caught the eye of head coach Mike Vrabel. Levis’ decision-making will likely be under a microscope as well, as the 6-foot-4 QB struggled with turnovers last year at the University of Kentucky.

Racey McMath, wide receiver

The top three receiver spots appear to be set with DeAndre Hopkins, Treylon Burks and Kyle Phillips sitting at the top of the depth chart. However, the fourth and fifth receiver jobs appear to be up for grabs with McMath facing some stiff competition from Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Mason Kinsey, Chris Moore, Reggie Roberson and rookie Colton Dowell.

After missing 20 games over the last two seasons, McMath needs to start stringing together some strong performances together, not only to carve out a role for himself in the offense but to also preserve his spot on the 53-man roster. The Titans have too much interchangeability at receiver, and if McMath doesn’t start proving his worth, he could be an early camp casualty.

More must-reads: