Titans QB Ryan Tannehill 'disappointed' comments about Malik Willis were 'twisted'

Tennessee Titans veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill sparked controversy when he somewhat defiantly explained earlier this month that he was "competing against" rookie and third-round draft selection Malik Willis. Tannehill seemed to leave little doubt about his feelings when he added at that time that it's not his "job" to mentor Willis. 

Willis later spoke with reporters and insisted "everything is cool" between him and Tennessee's current QB1. Tannehill addressed the matter again on Tuesday. 

"I meant no disrespect to Malik or anything close to that," Tannehill said, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. "We’ve been in constant communication since he was drafted, through the madness that ensued after my last press conference. . . . We’re happy to have him in the room. Really just disappointed in how things got spun and twisted a little bit."

Tannehill also said he reached out to Willis following the initial press conference and assured the first-year pro he'll be a good teammate. 

For what it's worth, Titans head coach Mike Vrabel defended Tannehill in comments he made earlier this month. 

"I thought Ryan handled that very well," Vrabel remarked. "He was genuine, he was authentic. 

"Everybody here knows he's a great teammate. That (mentoring) is not his job. His job is to prepare to help us win a bunch of games and be a great teammate and help out. That was not any sort of an issue for me."

While it's still early in the process, it seems all is well inside Tennessee's quarterback room ahead of the Memorial Day holiday.