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Titans QB2 Battle Headlines Preseason Opener

The Tennessee Titans are entering the preseason with a heated battle for backup quarterback.

Jack Hanzal

Quarterback Mason Rudolph (11)drops back to pass during the Tennessee Titans mandatory mini-camp at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, June 6, 2024.
Quarterback Mason Rudolph (11)drops back to pass during the Tennessee Titans mandatory mini-camp at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, June 6, 2024. / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK
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The NFL season is back and the Tennessee Titans open its preseason at home against the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday. 

With the starters presumably not playing a ton, a key position battle to look at is the backup quarterback spot between Malik Willis and Mason Rudolph. 

They have been battling all training camp for the second-string quarterback position and head coach Brian Callahan says they will split reps evenly. 

Willis was a third-round pick in the 2022 draft. The Liberty product was once expected to go in the first round with many mock drafts having him go within the top 10. 

Willis came into the NFL with all the physical attributes teams look for in a quarterback. He’s 6’1,  218 pounds, has a bazooka for an arm and can run fast. He was always supposedly a developmental prospect that needed time on the fundamentals. 

With that, his limited action on the field has not resulted in favorable results for Willis. He has appeared in 11 games while starting three of them, and has yet to throw a touchdown pass.  What Willis does have in his favor this year that he didn’t previously is his new head coach. Callahan is an offensive coach who has worked with great quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Matthew Stafford. Willis should be able to lean under him and the new coaching staff he brought to the Titans. 

Battling Willis is Rudolph. Rudolph is entering his fifth season in the NFL. He played his previous four with the Pittsburgh Steelers where he was able to start 13 games and went 8-4-1. He also logged one playoff start last season in a 31-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills. 

Mason Rudolph is currently listed as the Titans’ backup on the depth chart. But with the two splitting reps in preseason, the battle for quarterback two is seemingly close. With the 2023 season being the worst injury season for quarterbacks in NFL history, it is more important than ever to have a solidified backup a team can trust. 

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Jack Hanzal

JACK HANZAL

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