Will Levis’ run in Tennessee has reached the point where even a trade package built around a 2027 seventh-round pick feels like the natural next step.
The Titans took Levis 33rd overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, a move that came after plenty of people were stunned he slipped out of the first round. With Bryce Young, C.J.
Stroud and Anthony Richardson all going in the top four, Levis looked like a quarterback who might still hear his name called much earlier. Tennessee made the bet anyway, hoping he could grow into the franchise answer.
That never happened. Levis showed some promise as a rookie, playing nine games and throwing for just over 1,800 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions.
But 2024 turned the whole thing sideways. He appeared in 12 games, finished with 2,091 yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and added five fumbles.
The Titans finished with the worst record in the league and ended up with the No. 1 pick, which sent them straight to Cam Ward.
Once Tennessee drafted Ward No. 1 overall, the Levis era was effectively over. With Brian Callahan still the head coach at the time and Mike Borgonzi newly installed as general manager, the Titans were clearly headed for a reset. Ward became the obvious choice.
Ward’s rookie year wasn’t flashy, but it was productive enough given the circumstances around him. He threw for more than 3,000 yards and had just seven interceptions, a steadier turnover profile than Levis managed in his final season. Tennessee has since moved into a new coaching regime and has started building around Ward, including a revamped defense, a new No. 1 receiver in Carnell Tate and Brian Daboll calling plays.
That leaves Levis in a tough spot.
The Titans also brought in Mitch Trubisky on a two-year deal to back up Ward and reunite him with Daboll, which makes Levis look even more like the odd man out. Wynston Wilcox of FanSided.com floated a deal that would send Levis to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2027 seventh-round pick that belongs to the New York Jets.
“ Just because Will Levis thinks he’s one of the 32 best NFL quarterbacks doesn’t mean the Tennessee Titans do, which is exactly why they drafted Cam Ward in the 2025 NFL Draft. They should have no problem moving on from him and even if it’s a Day 3 pick, getting a draft pick out of him is better than letting him go for free. Tennessee shouldn’t feel compelled to keep him around and adding Trubisky just confirms that Levis and Trubisky were fighting for the backup job anyway. ” said Wilcox.
At this point, Levis doesn’t even look like a lock to sit behind Ward as QB2. He arrived in Tennessee with the hope of lifting the franchise, but instead he made life harder on himself and now has to search for a fresh start somewhere else.
For the Titans, the cleanest move is to take whatever draft value they can get and move on. Not every high pick works out, and Levis is the latest reminder of how fast a quarterback plan can unravel. The difference here is that Tennessee already found Ward in 2025.
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