Titans' Tannehill: Being benched for Levis 'hits hard'

Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill addressed head coach Mike Vrabel benching him for rookie Will Levis on Wednesday.

"It's hard," Tannehill said, per team reporter Jim Wyatt. "I mean, never been in this situation before, so it hits hard. Never a situation that anyone wants to be in. But it's the situation I'm in, so I gotta walk through it."

Levis, the No. 33 pick in April's draft, was named the team's starter moving forward on Tuesday. The 24-year-old has thrown for 500 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception through two starts while Tannehill has been nursing an ankle injury.

Tannehill says he's focused on being the best teammate he can be.

"You know I want to handle the situation with class, right?" said Tannehill, according to reporter Paul Kuharsky. "It's not a fun situation to be in, but I want to be a pro and handle it with class and still be a guy that people can look to."

Tannehill, 35, is in the final season of a four-year, $118-million deal that he signed with the Titans in 2020. The veteran has completed 62% of his attempts for 1,128 yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions in six games this campaign.

The Texas A&M product added that he's willing to assist and mentor Levis as he takes over the starting job.

"(Levis) has done some good things, obviously," said Tannehill, per Wyatt. "Came in and played really well the first game and did some good things last game as well. Gonna be here to answer any questions he has and try to help him out along the way."

Tannehill will operate as Levis' backup once healthy. The club also has 2022 third-rounder Malik Willis on the roster.