Will Levis was honest about what it’s like to go from starting quarterback to likely backup while speaking with reporters on Wednesday.
Levis was QB1 for the Tennessee Titans last season, his second in the NFL, but struggled enough that the Titans found themselves picking first overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. Two years after selecting Levis 33rd overall, they went for another quarterback in Miami’s Cam Ward.
Advertisement
That leaves Ward as the quarterback of the future, and likely the present as well, while the 25-year-old Levis faces an uncertain future. Per ESPN’s Turron Davenport, he didn’t hide his disappointment with the situation:
“I think anyone who’s ever been in my situation can agree that it sucks,” Levis said Wednesday. “I’m just trying to do everything I can not to let it affect me. I’m just being the same dude every day in the building and being here for the guys.”
Levis and Ward are currently the younger arms in a QB room that also features veteran backups Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle.
Levis reportedly admitted he expected the Titans to draft a quarterback last month and said he was hoping he could at least get a boost from playing in the same offense as last year for the first time since his two years at Penn State in 2019 and 2020.
Advertisement
He also had plenty of praise for Ward, via ESPN:
“He is 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.”
Ward was similarly complimentary:
“It’s been good,” Ward said. “[Levis] 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. So I’m glad to take a little advice from him.”
The Titans drafting a QB doesn’t mean Will Levis’ career is over. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
(Wesley Hitt via Getty Images)
Levis has faced struggles before, most notably the 2023 first-round slide that saw him land with the Titans in the first place. He entered the NFL with starting potential but so far hasn’t been what the Titans need to reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2021 season, but that also doesn’t mean he’s done. Geno Smith had a similar start to his career and just signed an $88.5 million extension.
Titans coach Brian Callahan praised the work Levis did with personal coach Jordan Palmer over the offseason. If he keeps showing improvement on the field for the Titans, he could give them a good problem to have if both he and Ward look game-ready.
