The Tennessee Titans are entering a meaningless regular-season finale against the Houston Texans in Week 18. Well, it's incredibly meaningful in relation to the 2025 NFL Draft order. The Titans are currently slated to own the No. 2 overall selection in April's festivities, and a loss would either lock them into that position, or potentially catapult them up to No. 1 overall if their defeat is paired with a New England Patriots victory.
The Titans aren't tanking, however. Players and coaches are tank-averse and head coach Brian Callahan would prefer to end a difficult debut campaign on a high note. With Sunday's tilt versus the Texans, in the Houston Oilers throwback jerseys no less, being the final opportunity to assess the roster ahead of the offseason, Callahan plans to employ a peculiar approach at the quarterback position.
Both Will Levis and Mason Rudolph will play quarterback against the Texans, Callahan told reporters.
.@Titans HC Brian Callahan: The plan is to play both QBs Will Levis and Mason Rudolph on Sunday in the finale vs Texans
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) December 30, 2024
Levis, a season-long struggling sophomore quarterback, was mercifully benched in the middle of a nightmarish performance against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 15. Levis was yanked in favor of Rudolph after committing his fourth turnover of the game, a pick-six return touchdown. Rudolph came in and completed 21-of-26 passing attempts against the Bengals' prevent defense for 209 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Callahan named him the starter moving forward.
Unsurprisingly, Rudolph did not perform as well after being named the No. 1. The former Pittsburgh Steelers started in recent back-to-back losses to the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars. The Titans trailed the Colts 38-7 at one point before Rudolph nearly helped them pull off the unthinkable, losing 38-30. Against Jacksonville on Sunday, the offense endured another tough outing, managing just 13 points versus one of the worst scoring defenses in the league.
Rudolph has thrown an interception in every appearance but one, his first of the season, a mid-game showing versus the Miami Dolphins after Levis exited injured.
Levis entered the season attempting to prove he's Tennessee's franchise quarterback, but things have gone horribly wrong. The ex Kentucky Wildcat ranks near the bottom of the league in every meaningful metric and has an equal 12:12 TD:INT ratio.
The Titans will likely have a new starting quarterback in 2025. Rudolph is on an expiring contract, and Levis isn't guaranteed to return, either. Until then, both incumbent quarterbacks will feature versus the Texans on Sunday. It may represent their final appearances in a Titans (Oilers) jersey.