Heading into the season, the Tennessee Titans wanted to win games and make the playoffs, but they needed to figure out whether Will Levis could be their franchise quarterback. Baring an amazing turnaround over the next three months, it looks like they have their answer and that answer is a resounding "No."
The Titans started their rebuild in January when they hired Brian Callahan as the new head coach. Given his quarterback-specific coaching background and the promise that Levis had shown as a rookie, the expectations were that those two would work in tandem to make an offense that fits what Levis does best.
That is not what has happened.
Levis looks less comfortable this year than he did as a rookie when he had fewer weapons and worse pass protection, and that is a huge problem. Time will tell whether that is a result of Levis regressing to his true level, or if it has to do with Callahan's ability to make life easy for his quarterback.
The fan base is ready to move on from Levis regardless of the answer to that question.
Tennessee's starting quarterback in 2025 will likely arrive via free agency or the draft.
Will Levis' successor
The 2025 NFL Draft is currently being viewed as a below-average class of quarterbacks.
There are no clear-cut answers. ESPN's Jordan Reid recently broke down the quarterback class, and the only quarterback prospects Reid awarded a first-round grade to were Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward.
When kept clean, both quarterbacks have made some highlight plays, but they also struggle with a lot of the same things that have made Levis unwatchable on Sundays.
Sanders holds the ball too long, makes life difficult for his offensive line, and the defenses will get faster and more difficult to read at the NFL level. Reid says, "The consensus from evaluators is Sanders has to get the ball out quicker. He averages 2.94 seconds before throwing this season, which ranks 111th in FBS."
Ward on the other hand has been criticized for "doing too much" which is what Levis did the first four games of the season this year. When talking about Ward's negatives, Reid quoted an AFC area scout and it sounds like he is describing Levis. "He has times where he has to scratch his itch for reckless plays, and it leaves you asking, "'What the heck was he thinking there?' an AFC area scout said. 'I like him and don't know if that can be coached out of him.'"
Outside of QB, the Titans possess big-time needs at right tackle, EDGE, ans wide receiver. Over-drafting a quarterback with flaws seems like a big gamble.
There are some decent candidates in free agency that we will have plenty of time to talk about as this season continues/drags on. Franchise quarterbacks are never going to hit the open market, but prime bridge quarterbacks like Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, Joe Flacco, and Andy Dalton will be available.
If the Titans want to bring in a veteran with starting experience and try to draft a quarterback in the second round, they could try to sign someone like Jacoby Brissett or Jimmy Garoppolo, and pair them with some of Reid's lower-rated QBs that fit Callahan better like Quinn Ewers or Carson Beck.
If the Titans plan on drafting a quarterback with what may be a top-five overall selection, you need to get comfortable with these names before the 2025 season.