The Titans will look at all options at quarterback this offseason, but in the meantime, QB Will Levis plans to do what he can to retain the starting job next season despite not blaming the team for looking at other potential starters.
“Every year, I don’t care what position you play, I feel like it is in their best interest to do their due diligence to make sure they know who is out there, and evaluate who they feel they need to evaluate,” Levis said, via Jim Wyatt of the team website. “It doesn’t offend me at all. And, I know going 3-14 doesn’t get you job security anywhere, for any team. All I can do is put my head down and work to show them I can still be this team’s quarterback.”
New Titans GM Mike Borgonzi mentioned that Levis will certainly have a chance to compete for the starting job when training camp rolls around.
“We’re going to give every opportunity to Will,” Borgonzi commented on Levis. “He’s still a young quarterback in the league, and he hasn’t had a lot of stability in terms of coordinators at Kentucky, or this level. Sometimes it takes time. He’s been changing systems, really since college. Will has a lot of physical talent, and we’re going to give him every opportunity to play here.”
Titans HC Brian Callahan says that he made Levis no promises about what could happen, given that the team has already spent time with Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders and will likely plan to meet with Miami QB Cam Ward, as well as other veterans in free agency.
“That’s the NFL,” Callahan said. “I told Will there was going to be, at minimum, competition. At the end of the day for him, and the same thing for me, every day you show up you are competing for your job. It’s just the nature of it all. I was very clear, that we are in a position to potentially draft one, we could sign one in free agency. So, you just have to be ready to compete. At the end of the day, just worry about yourself. Be the best version of yourself, work on the things you have to work on, improve those things, and don’t worry about anything else. I think he learned a lot last year about a lot of that stuff and I am excited to see what that growth looks like over the offseason.”
When told by reporters that Borgonzi mentioned he would be given every opportunity to compete, Levis said that he plans to talk with him in the coming weeks to make it clear he will be prepared for a competition.
“He seems like a great dude, he’s done some amazing things with the Chiefs obviously, and I am looking forward to getting to know him and seeing what he has planned and what he sees for the vision of this team,” Levis said of Borgonzi. “It’s good to hear, but it doesn’t change my process,” Levis said. “I think I have a really good schedule, and outlook, on these next couple of months before we start up OTAs. I am going to put myself in a great position to be healthy and be ready to play. And, hopefully, I can do whatever I can to show them that I can and should be the quarterback for this team.”
Levis said he has had plenty of time to look back at his first two seasons and reflect on both the positives and the negatives, with the hope that he can clean up many of the issues that could have put both himself and the team in a better position at this point.
“I think it’s taking the good with the bad, and making sure I am taking note of all the things that happened and most importantly trying to clean up the things that could have made the season go a little smoother if I were able to clean things up beforehand,” Levis commented. “A lot of good (last year), a lot of things that I think I was able to improve on from (my rookie season), and a lot of stuff I know is up to the level of what needs to happen as an NFL quarterback. And, a lot of throws, too, that a lot of NFL quarterbacks weren’t able to make, and those plays give me the confidence to go and improve on the things that I need to propel me further in this league. I look forward to using it as a time to better myself as a person and as a player. And come back a better leader and person for this team.”
Callahan is excited to see how much Levis can improve before the start of the team’s offseason program.
“You grow up a lot when you go through a season like we had last year, your perspective changes,” Callahan noted. “So, I think Will will be ready to go. He’s a competitor and he’ll be ready to show everything he can to show that he can be the quarterback. As we all know, sometimes you draft a young player, and maybe they’re not ready right away, or maybe they are. So, there’s a lot of openings for him to show his improvement, and I think he’ll be up for the task.”
Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker has said Levis would get a chance to compete for the starting job next year, as he’s still under contract.
However, he added that the team has to be aggressive in exploring its options at the position this offseason, noting that the poor play from under center was a major component in Tennessee’s 3-14 record.
“We’re going to leave no stone unturned,” Brinker said via Main Street Media. “We’re gonna look, whether it’s free agency or it’s the draft, and also within our own building here. We have Will. I think Will is a young player with a lot of physical skills. He’s been in a lot of offenses since college. Every year, he’s changing offenses, and it’s tough. It’s tough to play that. It’s the hardest position to play in sports. Will’s gonna get every opportunity to compete for the starting job as well next year.”
Brinker noted that having the No. 1 pick gives the team plenty of options and they’ll be diving into the upcoming class extensively to see if it makes sense to use the pick on a quarterback.
“We’re also going to do our due diligence because of how important that position is,” he said. “We obviously have the first pick in the draft, and there’s a lot that comes with that. We’ve got to figure that out. If any of these guys are worthy of that pick, we’ve got three months to try and figure that part out.”
Ultimately the level of investment the Titans make at quarterback will likely dictate how realistic Levis’ chances of winning a competition to start in 2025 actually are.
Levis, 25, originally began his college career at Penn State before transferring to Kentucky for the 2021 season. He started two seasons for the Wildcats. The Titans selected him in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
He’s entering the third year of a four-year $9,542,166 rookie contract with a $3,939,757 signing bonus.
In 2024, Levis appeared in 12 games for the Titans and completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 2,091 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also rushed 45 times for 183 yards.
We’ll have more on the Titans’ quarterback situation as the news is available.
