NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Upset at how comments about he didn't view mentoring the Titans' new rookie quarterback as his job turned into a firestorm, Ryan Tannehill began his Tuesday conference with nearly 3 and a half minutes on how he's a good teammate and was misunderstood.
He said he wasn't finished when the first questioner jumped in.
"We were communicating the whole time," he said of Tennessee Titans third-round pick Malik Willis."As soon as it blew up I reached out to him and said, 'Hey, I'm going to be a great teammate to you, I'm going to support you, and they are making this out to be something that it's not... it's not what it's made out to be.'
"He's been good, he was great with it the whole time. He was like, 'Yeah, I can't believe that it's blown into this.' Things were great with us from the beginning and have continued to be great and it's been great to have him in the room and get to know him as a person and we will continue to build that relationship."
Here is what Tannehill said on May 3, the first time he spoke after the Titans picked Willis in the third round of the draft.
Tannehill stance on mentoring Willis. #Titans. pic.twitter.com/fAnUdcediH
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) May 3, 2022
The long statement at the start today was pretty windy. I asked him to put a bow on everything with what his stance on mentoring Willis actually is and here is what he said.
Tannehill opened presser with long comment on firestorm created by what he said about it not being his job to mentor Malik Willis.
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) May 24, 2022
Before he finished here was a tighter clarification on mentoring Willis. #Titans. pic.twitter.com/djPLHXe0pH
Mike Vrabel said he had no issue with what Tannehill originally said and thought he handled it professionally. Here is what I wrote at the time: Ryan Tannehill, Malik Willis and the mentoring debate.
I think it was a mistake for him to wait from May 3 to May 24 to clarify and I asked him about the delay.
He said he didn't want to wade it while so much was being made of things. He didn't follow the specifics but got a sense of the tone of much of what was being said and written.
But that left Willis and others to speak about it while Tannehill sat back, which was not the fairest thing for the rookie.
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