The media doesn’t follow him like it once did, but Will Levis still had plenty to say on Wednesday about his situation with the Tennessee Titans, and his presumed replacement, Cam Ward.
Levis enters this season firmly in the back of coach Brian Callahan’s mind, as not only has he been unable to snag a solid grip on the starting quarterback position with the Titans, but his replacement appears to have been drafted, with the team spending the first overall pick on Cam Ward.
That places Levis, a former first-rounder himself, in an awkward spot going into the team’s offseason activities.
Finally asked to comment on his situation with the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday, Levis was unsurprisingly honest, but did manage to sneak in a comment praising his new teammate, too.
Will Levis says his Tennessee Titans situation ‘sucks’, but praises Cam Ward
Speaking to ESPN, Levis responded to questions about his mindset and future with some unvarnished honesty.
“I think anyone who’s ever been in my situation can agree that it sucks…I’m just trying to do everything I can not to let it affect me,” Levis said. “I’m just being the same dude every day in the building and being here for the guys.”
Levis seemed fairly nonchalant about the situation, saying that he foresaw the team going for a quarterback with the first pick in the draft, and tried to focus on the positives of the situation. One positive for him was working with Ward, whom he praised.
“He’s a really smart kid,” Levis said. “We’ve been able to talk a lot about just the different installs that we’ve gone through and hearing his perspective, how he sees things. He’s a heck of an athlete, a heck of a quarterback, too.”
For his part, Ward also lauded Levis, saying that he had been a useful tool in helping him get ready for the pro game.
“He was one of the first ones to come up to me in the locker room. It’s exciting to work with somebody who’s played an actual NFL football game,” Ward said. “So I’m glad to take a little advice from him.”
Will Levis and the Tennessee Titans’ future
Where both the team and Levis go from here would appear to be opposite paths.
While Ward and Levis are still sharing reps in practice, it would be very surprising if Ward were not taking the snaps from the opening day of the season, particularly as the Titans look to reinvigorate their franchise and fanbase after a disappointing season.
That leaves Levis in something of an NFL no-man’s land; talented enough to have started once, but no longer considered the future of his team.
His best move would be to continue improving — he’s spent most of this offseason working with personal quarterback coach Jordan Palmer, per reports — and take the opportunity to show his talent when it’s given, such as in the preseason.
If he can do that, perhaps a rebuilding team, or a team suffering from injuries at the game’s most key position, would take a chance on his potential and see if he can still fulfill it. Perhaps a career trajectory like Geno Smith‘s with the Seattle Seahawks could be in the offing, if he can find the right mix of coach and team for his undoubted talents.
