Will Levis, a rookie, is being selected as the Titans starting quarterback.
Nashville is currently seeing the blowing of new winds of change. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel made the announcement on Tuesday that rookie quarterback Will Levis will take over as the team’s starting passer moving forward.
The second-round pick had a strong showing in the two games prior while filling in for Ryan Tannehill, who was sidelined due to an ankle issue.
The choice that Vrabel made was not made flippantly. A decision of this magnitude can change the course of a career.
Just ask Bill Belichick, who back in 2001 made the contentious choice to appoint Tom Brady their starting quarterback instead of Drew Bledsoe, who had just recently signed a mega-contract with the team. Would you agree that it was a move that ultimately turned out to be quite successful?
The top brass in Tennessee undoubtedly has high hopes that something analogous will occur today.
But Vrabel is a smart person who may be maintaining realistic expectations, particularly when it comes to the remainder of this season.
He was a part of the Patriots’ dynasty in the early 2000s, and he was a player for them during that time.
It is evident that Levis played sufficiently well over the course of the previous two games to persuade Vrabel to continue using him moving forward. The Titans prevailed over the Falcons by a score of 28-23 thanks to a strong day by Levis.
The former Kentucky Wildcat made history almost immediately by being the first quarterback after the merger to achieve the following statistics in his very first start: 225 passing yards, four touchdown passes with no interceptions thrown, and a completion rate of 65% or higher.
Even though he wasn’t as productive four days after leaving Pittsburgh, Levis still threw a greater number of yards than he did in his debut (262 compared to 238) and nearly led the Titans to a last-minute victory for Tennessee.
His last throw, however, was picked off by Steelers linebacker Kwon Alexander in the end zone to preserve Pittsburgh’s 20-16 win.
Levis played effectively for the most part despite the loss, demonstrating his tremendous arm strength plus impressive mobility.
It is not difficult to watch Levis and think of Brett Favre, particularly in the earlier stages of his career.
Levis is a fellow gunslinger and a warrior who is capable of making moves that others just aren’t able to or dare try to attempt.
Another quarterback who is expected to be selected in the 2023 NFL draft has taken over at the starting position for his squad.
Will Levis will continue to lead the Tennessee Titans offense as the team’s starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, as announced by Titans coach Mike Vrabel.
While experienced quarterback Ryan Tannehill was sidelined with an injury, the second-round pick from the University of Kentucky has been standing in for him.
Even if Tannehill recovers and is able to return to the field, Vrabel will continue to play the new quarterback in his place.
Levis is coming off a tough loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9, a game where he completed 22 of 39 passes and threw one INT with no TDs.
Levis played better than the stats indicate. Levis had a monster game against the Falcons a week prior, throwing for four touchdowns as the Titans prevailed.
The promise he showed in that game against Atlanta and his overall upside convinced Vrabel that Levis is the future.
The rest of the season, particularly the playoffs, will be a good indicator of how long that potential future might be.
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel announced to the media on Tuesday that Will Levis will serve as the team’s starter going forward, while Ryan Tannehill is going to be relegated to the role of backup once he recovers from his injury.
Levis is off to an outstanding start throughout his first two games, tossing four touchdown passes during his first start (a win over the Atlanta Falcons) then showing further flashes of greatness last week ahead of a national audience in Pittsburgh. In his first start, the Atlanta Falcons were defeated.
Levis, a player who came out of Kentucky and was selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, was a surprise first-round pick for many teams.
Because of his poor performance on Day 1, the Titans were able to move up in the draft and choose him with the 33rd overall pick thanks to a trade.
After relying on Tannehill in prior seasons and investing a draft pick in Malik Willis in the third round of the previous year’s draft, it appears that the Titans may have finally found their quarterback of both the present and the future in Levis.