Why Fans and the Titans’ Organization Should Give Malik Willis Time
Don’t Give Up On Malik Willis
The 2022 Tennessee Titans
The Titans’ passing game was not good last year. A lot of that comes from a lack of receiving options, but Ryan Tannehill is not without blame. He’s not that good. Tannehill is in the 20-25 range when ranking quarterbacks in the NFL. It’s tough to be an elite team without an elite quarterback. Who’s in the Super Bowl? Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts. Who was in the Super Bowl last year? A healthy Matthew Stafford and Joe Burrow. Great quarterback play is important in team success and I just don’t see Ryan Tannehill providing it.
That’s enough Tannehill bashing, it’s not what this article is really about. The Titans and Titans’ fans need to be patient with second year quarterback Malik Willis. Willis didn’t look good as a rookie. He looked plain bad. I’m here to tell you why that’s OK. I actually wrote about it in my top 5 quarterbacks article last year. I wrote that Willis was raw and needed time to develop his deep ball accuracy and ability to read defenses at the NFL level.
Potential
So why should fans not give up on Malik Willis? His raw talent is undeniable and amazing. Willis has one of the, if not the, strongest arms in the NFL. Josh Allen type arm strength. He’s also an incredible athlete, Lamar Jackson type athleticism. Don’t forget he ran a 4.37 40 as a sophomore. Can you imagine Josh Allen’s arm and Lamar Jackson’s legs combined? That’s what we’re talking about here. His potential is through the roof and people need to remember that.
Malik Willis needs time to adjust to the NFL. He needs to be coached up. Let’s remember that Willis is entering his second year in the NFL. He’s young and raw. Tannehill can put in another average to below average year while Willis continues to develop. The biggest reason people shouldn’t give up on Malik Willis is he can be an elite quarterback. Fans’ should want someone with a high ceiling. Maybe Willis never reaches his potential and he’s a bust. I’d rather take a shot on someone with the skills to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league than hope a quarterback develops into an average player. I want my quarterback’s ceiling to be at the top of the league, not the 16th best.
