The Tennessee Titans are officially waving goodbye to quarterback Will Levis after three seasons, and man, it’s a wild turn of events. The former second-round pick out of Kentucky just got demoted to third-string, sitting behind the No. 1 overall pick, Cam Ward, and free-agent addition Mitch Trubisky. After all the hype and flashes of promise, it’s a tough pill to swallow for Levis, who’s now looking for a new NFL home.
The Writing Was On The Wall For Levis
You gotta feel for the guy, but the writing was on the wall. Levis played the entire first half of Tennessee’s preseason finale against the Chicago Bears on Saturday night. He went 14 of 22 for 143 yards, but apparently, that wasn’t enough for the Titans to find a trade partner. Think about that: they couldn’t even get a deal done, which tells you everything you need to know about where he stood. It’s a brutal business, and when you can’t even fetch a trade, it’s a clear sign your time is up.
From Rookie Hype To Historical Struggles
Remember Levis’ rookie year back in 2023? Dude stepped into the starting lineup and showed some serious promise, going 3-6. He tied the NFL record for most passing touchdowns in an NFL debut, slinging four against the Atlanta Falcons. And let’s not forget that insane comeback against the Miami Dolphins in 2023, down 14 points in the final three minutes against a team that was double-digit favorites! All of that, operating behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. We all thought, “Okay, this kid’s got something!”
Then 2024 hit, and man, it was a disaster. Levis entered the season as the unquestioned starter, with some shiny new toys around him like wide receiver Calvin Ridley, running back Tony Pollard, cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, and center Lloyd Cushenberry. What should have been a breakout year turned into Tennessee finishing with the worst record in the NFL at 3-14. Levis won just two starts, and the stats tell the ugly truth: he recorded the highest percentage of plays with a sack, fumble, or interception (a whopping 16.3%) since JaMarcus Russell way back in 2009. That’s a stat you don’t want your name attached to. That disaster ultimately earned the Titans the No. 1 overall pick, which they used on his replacement, Cam Ward.
Levis reflected on his time in Nashville after that final preseason game, saying he was “Very grateful,” and “Miss Amy brought me in here and welcomed me with open arms, as did everyone else here in Nashville with the team, and I was able to grow a lot over the couple of seasons we had while I was playing here. Wouldn’t trade it for anything.” He’s got a legitimate NFL arm, no doubt about it. But the decision-making issues? The turnovers? Those are the things that kill you in this league. His Nashville chapter is over, but this kid’s NFL story is far from finished. He’s got to get that under control if he wants to stick around.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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