Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Taneyhill Feels his comments about not being his job to guide the 2022 NFL third-round pick Malik Willis It was disproportionately detonated.
“I didn’t mean to disrespect your owner or anything like that,” Tannehill said on Tuesday. “We’ve been in constant contact since it was drafted. I’m disappointed with how things are woven and twisted a little bit. I’m proud of myself for being an amazing teammate throughout my career as a kid playing youth sports.”
When asked about mentoring Willis earlier this month, Tanehill said he understands the dynamics of the quarterback’s competitive room, but it’s not his job to mentor the rookie quarterback. Titans coach Mike Frabel added that “Taneyhill’s job is to make sure the team is ready to win games.”
Tanehill said Tuesday that he reached out to Willis as soon as his comments made headlines. Tanehill made it clear that he and Willis would compete, but emphasized that he was willing to help Willis and be a great teammate. He also said that as a team leader, it’s his responsibility to help the rookie.
“Once he blew up, I reached out to him and said, ‘Hey, I’m going to be a great teammate, I’ll support you. They make this up for something it isn’t meant to be. It’s not what it was made to be at all,” he said. “It was good. He was great with him the whole time. It was great having him in the room and building that relationship.”
Taneyhill said he takes mentor’s word “very seriously,” which may be why his earlier comments were misunderstood.
He said, “There are quite a few people that I consider mentors. There are hundreds of people who have helped me throughout my career, but there are only a few that I consider mentors.” “Mentioning is something that both people should want, and they both have to agree to go into it, and it will take a lot of time, energy and focus.”
Tennessee State is starting to consider the idea of a future quarterback heading into the draft this year. The Titans were ranked No. 1 in the AFC, but lost to the Cincinnati Bengals at home in the group stage of the playoffs last season. Taneyhill’s three interceptions played a role in the loss.
The Titans took the field as a team for the first time on Monday. So far, the relationship between Tanehill and Willis appears to be heading in the right direction.
“It was amazing,” Willis said. “He’s a great guy who works very hard and wants everyone to get their hands on their work. He’s definitely someone you can look up to.”
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