It may not be official yet, but everyone knows that the Cam Ward era in Tennessee is undeniably underway. In this century, David Carr was the only quarterback selected number one overall who did not start Week 1, and that was over 20 years ago. When a new era begins, the old one must end, but that does not have to be the end of Will Levis' NFL journey... or the end of his value to the team that drafted him.
As such, many experts believed Levis could be traded before the 2025 NFL Draft, so Tennessee could acquire more assets to immediately apply to the rebuild. Whether the market for him was dry, the front office decided to wait, or the coaching staff preferred to keep him for now, that trade never materialized. Now with Ward consistently winning over coaches, teammates, fans, and media, a Levis move feels inevitable.
Following the signing of veteran backup Brandon Allen prior to the draft, the writing was already coming into focus on the wall for Levis's future. A veteran journeyman backup is almost always a good thing for a rookie quarterback, as he can provide support, advice, and experience without being a real threat to take the starting job. Given last year's implementation of the emergency QB rule, it is not impossible that Ward, Levis, and Allen could have their own roster spots, but that feels unlikely.
Levis did give Titans fans glimmers of hope throughout his time in Nashville and showed improvement towards the end of last year. Perhaps other NFL front offices and coaching staffs could see the value in that growth and his raw talent and believe they could do a better job developing his raw talent?
So the question then becomes, what is his value in the trade market? Luckily for us, FantasyCalc evaluates Levis's value as being similar to three other quarterbacks who were recently moved: Sam Howell, Kenny Pickett, and Mac Jones.
Howell has actually been traded twice over the last two years. Originally a fifth-round pick of the Commanders, the former North Carolina standout started multiple games for them and had some success. However, he also struggled with turnovers. That sounds familiar. Howell (along with fourth and sixth round picks) was traded in 2024 to the Seahawks for third and fifth rounders. This offseason, he was sent to Minnesota for a swap of fourth and fifth rounders.
Pickett also had limited success as a starter in Pittsburgh, and he is also on his third team in as many years. He was sent to Philadelphia along with a fourth-round pick last year in exchange for a third-rounder and two sevenths. This offseason, the Browns acquired Pickett for a fifth and QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Mac Jones had a successful rookie year for the Patriots but seemed to plateau quickly. He was sent to Jacksonville last offseason for a sixth-round selection.
It is worth noting that Levis possesses more raw talent than any of the three quarterbacks mentioned above, and surely some OC or offensive-minded head coach will look at his combination of arm talent, size, and athleticism and believe he can tap into that potential. However, it is impossible to overlook the fact that Levis created so many mind-boggling turnovers last year that he became a bit of a running joke on social media.
While Levis certainly won't recoup the early second-round pick used to draft him (or the future third used to trade up to that spot), he could certainly draw late-round value from a team looking for a project QB or a high-upside backup. Perhaps the only question left now is: when will it happen?