Will Levis calls out Titans fans for booing Malik Willis during the Falcons game following his ‘dream’ debut

Levis said he and the other Titans players understand that the fans are frustrated but that doesn't mean they should boo players during the game.

Will Levis calls out Titans fans for booing Malik Willis during the Falcons game following his ‘dream’ debut

The Tennessean Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis (7) warms up before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals and Will Levis (Image via IMAGO)

Despite shining in his debut game, Will Levis chose to address the elephant in the room. He, nor any other Tennesse Titans players, were too pleased with the crowd at Nissan Stadium, which booed second-year quarterback Malik Willis.

It was a two-way battle between the two when QB 1 Ryan Tannehill was ruled out of the Atlanta Falcons game through injury. Levis got the nod, and he capped off the day with 238 yards and four touchdowns, playing all but two snaps of the 67 behind center.

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In those couple of plays, head coach Mike Vrabel—true to his words about quarterback rotating—brought on Willis for much-needed game time. However, the 24-year-old was welcomed onto the field with strange boos from the Titans fans. His unfortunate fumble on his first drive made things worse.

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The center snapped the ball too high, and it almost hit Malik Willis in the chin. He dropped it, and the Falcons had acquired possession. That was the only meaningful contribution he had in the game, as Vrabel didn’t take another chance with him.

The Titans won the game 28-23, but in the end, as Levis mentioned, fan’s actions left a “sour taste” in their mouths. During the post-match press conference, he asked the players what they thought of the booing.

That left a sour taste in all of our mouths hearing those boos when he was coming on the field. We’ve got to know that he’s going to be a big part of us going forward to win games. Let’s just come correct next time as fans and treat him correctly.

He also touched upon the fact that a bad start to the season can frustrate everyone, but that doesn’t mean players deserve such treatment. 

I understand fans are frustrated when we lose. We’re all a family, so it doesn’t help being [booed]. He [Malik] is a great kid and a great person, and he’ll do anything to help this organization win.

Tennesse players defend Malik Willis

Will Levis wasn’t the only player to voice his opinion on the matter. Other Titans players also expressed their disappointment. Experienced running back Derrick Henry, who has been the subject of trade, spoke in favor of the former Liberty passer.

Will Levis calls out Titans fans for booing Malik Willis during the Falcons game following his ‘dream’ debut
Tennesse Titans quarterback Malik Willis (Image via Sports Illustrated)
He’s a part of the team [because] he was drafted here. He’s worked as hard as he can to make it to this point—working his tail off each and every day. Everybody’s entitled to how they want to feel. I don’t feel like there’s a need to boo him.

Star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins spoke in a similar tone. 

Us in the locker room, we don’t appreciate the boos for Malik. That’s very unfair. He’s part of us and what we do. Definitely, it’s not something I expected coming here.

Malik Willis played 8 games in 2022, starting 3 of them with 2 losses. He played against the Baltimore Ravens in the previous game, managing 74 yards from four completions.

Yesterday was a big surprise of sorts. The boos caught everyone off guard. But the question is, was it really directed at Willis, or were they not happy with the coaching staff for taking Will Levis off after just a couple of snaps? But coach Vrabel already said that there will be quarterback rotations during the game.

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