One of two things would have to happen for the Tennessee Titans to feel the pressure to start their rookie quarterback. Either he’d flash in the preseason or Ryan Tannehill would struggle in the regular season. On Thursday, the first domino fell.
Malik Willis made his preseason debut against the Baltimore Ravens. In doing so, he racked up 107 passing yards and 38 rushing yards, complete with a deep bomb and an adventurous red zone rushing touchdown. Amongst the good were also some ugly missed reads and forced scrambles that led to his benching, but it’s hard not to be excited about the future of the Titans. If they are not good, they will at the bare minimum be fun.
Furthermore, the pressure increasing means there’s a greater chance Willis sees the field. The Offensive Rookie of the Year award figures to be a quarterback award, so if he starts, it very well could be his to lose. However, DraftKings isn’t buying the early hype, placing him at +5000 to win the award. If taking the long shot is your style and you’re willing to bank on Willis’ ascension, be my guest, but a safer option is still Breece Hall (+750) or Drake London (+900).