Will

Levis

Just months after learning he would be replaced by No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, Levis’ 2025 will now come to an end before it even gets started. According to Rapoport, Levis “elected to have the procedure to ensure long-term health, based on medical opinions,” but should be ready to return for the 2026 season. The former No. 33 overall pick has had a tumultuous start to his NFL career, throwing for 3,899 yards, 21 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 21 games while also losing 17 fumbles over that span. Despite playing in just 12 games last season, Levis tied with Baker Mayfield and Kirk Cousins for a league-high 18 turnovers, which eventually led to the decision to bench him for Mason Rudolph. Rudolph is now in Pittsburgh, meaning veterans Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle are left to backup Ward in his rookie season. The Titans may look to add another quarterback to their roster to compete with the underwhelming duo, but there aren’t many reliable options on the market at the moment.

Titans head coach Bill Callahan did suggest that things will likely change during the next phase of the offseason training activities aka OTAs, but for now, Ward and Levis are getting equal reps. The Titans made Ward the first-overall pick of last month’s draft, and while it’s not unheard of for a highly-drafted quarterback to not begin the season as the team’s starter, it’s very hard to imagine that Ward won’t be the starter for Week 1 of the regular season. This is more of a long-term play than someone who likely has fantasy relevance in 2025, either way.

While Callahan did not explicitly state that Ward is the Week 1 starter, he is already qualifying his statements on the matter. Unless something goes terribly awry, Ward should be under center for much of training camp, and ostensibly, when Week 1 kicks off. As far as backups go, the Titans could do worse than having Levis in the No. 2 spot.

Huge, if true. “He’s still developing. He’s had some good moments,” Borgonzi continued. “Like any other QB, he’s still learning.” Levis was recently in a list of potentially available players on rookie contracts that Adam Schefter pushed on Monday, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Titans dealt him. This is a stark departure from president of football operations Chad Brinker saying Levis had a chance to compete for the starting job in March, obviously.

The Titans are standing by their man, for now. Brinker adds that the Titans “have not contacted anybody, and nobody has contacted us, about Will Levis.” If the Titans were to be contacted about Levis’ availability, perhaps his stance would change, but Levis is on year three of a rookie deal and isn’t blocking any additions even if he becomes a backup plan. Perhaps retaining Levis as the presumed starter, pre-draft, will encourage another team picking in the top 10 to offer an overwhelmingly valuable trade package that would allow the Titans to slide back a tad, while remaining in range to draft one of Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart.

Levis was the Titans’ second-round pick two years ago. He started 12 games last season and finished with 12 interceptions and six fumbles lost before being benched for Mason Rudolph. The Titans now hold the No. 1 overall pick in the draft and will have their choice of Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders as their next franchise quarterback. If they have faith in one of them, Levis could be jettisoned. A market may not materialize quickly, but a team may deal a day three draft pick to get Levis in a back-up role.

With the Titans expected to take a quarterback in the first round of the draft and sign a veteran free agent in the coming weeks, Levis could be demoted to third string or even fail to make the Week 1 roster. “I think they are tired of the backbreaking turnovers,” an NFL personnel employee told ESPN at the NFL Combine. The big-armed Levis was a disaster in 2024, eventually benched for journeyman QB Mason Rudolph, who proved more reliable and efficient than Levis. Entering his third NFL season, Levis is working with independent QB coach Jordan Palmer this offseason to improve his footwork and pocket movement, according to head coach Brian Callahan. It would hardly be a surprise if Levis was on another roster come September.

Graziano lists giving Will Levis another shot and signing either Sam Darnold or Justin Fields in free agency as alternative options for Tennessee. The belief is that the Titans’ roster needs are so extensive that they’re better off trading the top pick in the draft for a haul rather than simply walking away with a new quarterback. Graziano lists the Browns, Giants, Raiders and Jets as teams that might be interested in trading all the way up.

“Hopefully that’s an illuminating process for him, a different way of doing things,” Callahan said. “He’s going to be out there for two months, whatever it is, some of the footwork, the base, some of the pocket movement things that have to improve.” The Titans have not tipped their hand about the No. 1 pick, but talking about Levis improving in the present certainly indicates they at least are open to the idea of the third-year signalcaller getting a chance to compete for the quarterback job in training camp. What competition Levis will have at the position remains unsettled at this point.

He was fumbled twice, losing one of them on an aborted snap that was returned for a touchdown. Levis, as usual, mixed in highlight-reel worthy plays (his 49-yard third-and-10 touchdown to Tay Martin) with throws that no NFL quarterback should attempt. The year was not a great one for Levis’ stock as he was benched multiple times and likely would have seriously threatened the league lead in interceptions had he played all 17 games. The Titans went 3-14 and clinched the No. 1 overall pick. It would not be totally unprecedented for someone to fix Levis — we just saw Sam Darnold turn in a great year — but he will likely enter the third year of his rookie contract as a backup. Perhaps even a different team’s backup if the Titans want to totally flush the quarterback room.