NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The addition of Tim Boyle to the Titans’ quarterback room has stirred up an element of the fan base, which is reading a lot into it.
I don’t think it says a thing about the Titans' plans at quarterback beyond their intention for back-end reps at camp and in preseason games. It's no big signal about Will Levis.
The Titans, as we know them, have traditionally carried three quarterbacks into camp. They haven't had four since Marcus Mariota, Matt Cassel, Alex Tanney and Tyler Ferguson in 2017.
Last year, the three were Levis, Mason Rudolph and Malik Willis.
They now have three quarterbacks in Levis, Brandon Allen and Boyle. If they draft Cam Ward, they’ll have four. They are open to trading Will Levis but not hellbent on it, and that would have
been the case with or without Boyle. There is no action at this time and outsiders are way overvaluing what he could bring.
If they drafted Ward and dealt Levis, I bet they’d add another QB still.
Here’s why: Guess what team has typically had four in the preseason?
The Kansas City Chiefs, Titans GM Mike Borgonzi’s former employer.
As bad as Boyle is – and I’ve been outspoken about just how bad I think he is – is sure seems he will merely serve in the role of former Chiefs camp quarterbacks like Chris Oladokun, Ian Book, Shane Buechele, Dustin Crum, Anthony Gordon, Chase Litton and Kyle Shurmur.
All of those guys have been with Kansas City in the last six preseasons. Clearly it’s a Chiefs’ camp roster philosophy to have four quarterbacks, and it’s not because Mahomes has been bubble-wrapped.
In those six summers, Mahomes played in 12 of a possible 16 preseason games, averaging 22 attempts. That's typical early-game work for an NFL starter.
The most logical conclusion here is that the Titans are now a four-quarterback team when they have a 90-man roster. Boyle is their fourth if Levis is here, and maybe their third if he’s not. And he’s just as unlikely to be on the 53 as Oladokun or Buechele were in Kansas City.
