The Tennessee Titans made a surprising selection in the third round of the NFL Draft, selecting Liberty quarterback Malik Willis with veteran Ryan Tannehill entrenched at starter. Tannehill, who has enjoyed the best success of his career in Tennessee, was reportedly blindsided by the pick, as the Titans didn't call their starting quarterback before the draft to inform them of their intentions. While Tannehill seemed gracious in speaking to reporters about Willis, saying that he congratulated the former Liberty star, the Titans signal-caller did add that he “doesn't think it's his job” to mentor Willis. Former NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion Kurt Warner fired a shot at Tannehill over those comments.
Warner, without naming any names, said that he can't wrap his head around the mindset of a guy saying, “he's not here to mentor the next guy.” Gee, who could Warner be talking about here? Certainly not Tannehill!
To be fair to the Titans veteran, it technically isn't his job to mentor Willis. However, it's part of being an NFL quarterback, something Warner himself did with the New York Giants, taking Eli Manning under his wing.
Willis, who is believed to be a bit raw by NFL Draft standards, could certainly learn a thing or two from someone like Tannehill. The Titans star did say that if the rookie learns something from him along the way, he'll be glad, so Warner is certainly overblowing Tannehill's comments to some degree.
Still, coming from an NFL Hall of Famer who played the quarterback position as well as anyone in the history of the league, Warner's words carry weight.