The Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill made it clear that he doesn’t want to mentor rookie signal-caller Malik Willis. However, according to the veteran, this doesn’t mean he won’t be a great teammate to the Liberty product.
The Titans surprised more than a few people when they decided to use their third-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft on Willis. It turned out that Tannehill was among the bunch and didn’t exactly receive the news with much enthusiasm at first. He even told reporters that it isn’t his job to mentor Willis when asked about whether he’ll take on the mentorship role with the rookie.
Tannehill now decided to clarify his comments, saying on Wednesday that he “meant no disrespect.” He also added that he reached out to Willis in order to clear the air.
“As soon as it blew up, I reached out to him and said, ‘Hey, I’m going to be a great teammate to you, I’m going to support you. They’re making this out to be something that it’s not to be. It’s not what it’s been made out to be at all,” Tannehill explained.
Tannehill is under contract with Tennessee through the 2025 season after signing a four-year, $118 million extension in 2020. However, not many people believe he’ll stick around long enough to see his contract through.
The Titans can release Tannehill after 2022 and they only have an $18 million cap hit on their books as a consequence. Don’t be surprised if the franchise ends up taking this route, especially if Willis progresses as some analysts predict.
