NASHVILLE — A person familiar with the situation said Josh Dobbs, not rookie Malik Willis, will be the starting quarterback for the Tennessee Titans when they host the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night.
A third-round pick out of Liberty in this past April’s NFL draft, Willis had been expected to make his fourth start (and second in a row) with veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill among eight players declared out for the Titans (7-8) against the Cowboys (11-4). Kickoff is set for 8:15, and the game will be shown on Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service.
Instead, the Titans will start Dobbs, a former University of Tennessee standout they signed off the Detroit Lions’ practice squad on Dec. 21, the person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the move had not been announced.
Also on Thursday afternoon, the Titans effectively ended Tannehill’s season by placing him on injured reserve due to a recurring problem with his right ankle, along with lineback Zach Cunningham (elbow) and Bud Dupree (pectoral muscle).
Both the Cowboys and the Titans are chasing division titles with two regular-season games remaining, but their paths are different. To win a second straight NFC East title, Dallas needs to win out — the Cowboys visit the Washington Commanders on Jan. 8 to close — and have the Philadelphia Eagles, who sit atop the division standings, lose at least once.
Thursday’s game has no bearing on Tennessee’s postseason hopes. The only way the Titans can win a third consecutive AFC South title is by beating the host Jacksonville Jaguars, 36-22 winners on Dec. 11 in Nashville, in the final week.
Dobbs will make his first NFL start after entering the league as a fourth-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017. The former Tennessee Volunteers star has appeared in six games in his pro career, playing in five with the Steelers in 2018 and one in 2020.
The Atlanta-area native spent the 2019 season with Jacksonville after being traded by Pittsburgh for a fifth-round pick. He is 10-of-17 passing for 45 yards in his career with no touchdowns and one interception. He has run six times for 31 yards.
Dobbs was the Vols’ full-time starter his final two college seasons and led the team to back-to-back 9-4 records.
Willis has appeared in eight games this season and is 1-2 as a starter. He is 31-of-61 for 276 yards with three interceptions. Willis scored his first NFL touchdown last week, running 14 yards for a score in 19-14 division loss to the Houston Texans on Christmas Eve.
Tannehill most recently played in a road loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 18, when he finished the game despite reinjuring his right ankle in the first quarter. The 11-year NFL veteran was carted to the locker room, had his ankle taped up and returned after missing just one possession.
Because going on IR requires a player to miss a minimum of four games, for Tannehill to have a chance to play again this season, Tennessee will have to not only make the playoffs but advance to the AFC championship game.
The Titans now have 22 players on injured reserve. They have used an NFL-high 82 players this season after using a league-high 91 in 2021, the most ever in a season without a strike.
This story was updated at 8:25 p.m. on Dec. 29, 2022. An earlier version of this story stated that injured quarterback Ryan Tannehill could return if the Tennessee Titans reached the divisional round of the playoffs. The Titans must reach the AFC title game for Tannehill to return this season.