Despite erratic play and the arrival of Cam Ward, one former Titans quarterback's resurgence suggests a path to redemption remains for the embattled former second-round pick Will Levis.
The Tennessee Titans selected Will Levis in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Kentucky.
He ended his college career at Kentucky, but it started at Penn State in 2019. Levis sat behind veteran quarterback Sean Clifford for two seasons before transferring in 2021.
His college stats didn't jump out at you, but there was a lot of potential. Levis threw for 5,233 passing yards, 43 touchdowns and 23 interceptions in his two years at Kentucky.
Levis didn't start right away as a rookie.
He had to wait behind Ryan Tannehill until former head coach Mike Vrabel named him the starter for the Week 8 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons. He had an incredible debut, throwing for 238 passing yards and four touchdowns.
Every Titans fan believed he was the future.
Levis was the starter for the rest of the season, finishing with 1,808 passing yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions.
Vrabel was fired after that season, and Brian Callahan took over as HC. Levis kept his starting job but proved that was a mistake.
It felt like almost every week that Levis would make a decision that made zero sense. In Week 2 of the 2024 season, the Titans played the New York Jets in their home opener.
Levis and the offense got into the red zone, and for some reason, Levis decided to pitch the ball backward to Tony Pollard to avoid being sacked, which resulted in a fumble recovered by the defense.
The decision got Levis a good talking to from Callahan on the sidelines.
Levis dealt with injuries throughout the year and only played in 12 games, finishing with 2,091 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
The Titans made their intentions about Levis known when they drafted Cam Ward No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. Levis then missed all of last season due to shoulder surgery to repair the AC Joint injury that he had played through in 2025.
Ward has now established himself as the starter, and Levis is fighting for a spot at quarterback. While he may not be on the team for very much longer, Levis is still just as confident as ever.
He spoke to the media after Saturday's practice and believed that there weren't 32 quarterbacks better than him in the NFL. While most Titans fans probably rolled their eyes at the comment, myself included, recent history suggests this may not be the end of the road for him as a starter in this league.
Malik Willis was in a similar situation with the Titans during his time here. He was drafted out of Liberty in 2022 and was forced into action after an injury to Tannehill. He clearly wasn't ready to be a starter, but stayed with the team through the 2023 season before being traded to the Green Bay Packers.
Willis was the backup for the Packers behind Jordan Love but started against the Titans in Week 3 of the 2024 season. He outshined Levis, throwing for 202 passing yards and one touchdown, while rushing for 73 yards and another score.
Levis ended the game with 260 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in a 30-14 loss.
Willis looked like a much-improved quarterback compared to the player he was at the Titans. He threw for 972 passing yards and six touchdowns in the two years he was the backup.
Now, Willis is getting his chance to be a starter in the NFL. He followed former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to the Miami Dolphins and is expected to be the starter.
He is on a three-year, $67.5 million deal with the Dolphins per Spotrac.
Willis isn't in the best situation, but he's getting his chance to start in this league.
With Levis, it looks like the Titans may play him in the preseason to get him some good tape to send to teams that want him. If he doesn't make this team, don't give up on him just yet.
I'm sure Titans fans thought the same thing about Willis, and now he's in line to start for the Dolphins.
