There’s a chance Will Levis opens the 2026 season as the Tennessee Titans’ QB3. But the 27-year-old signal-caller believes he can be starter in the NFL again.
“100%,” he said Saturday during training camp.
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“There are not 32 quarterbacks in this league better than me. I know that for sure.”
Levis missed this past season after undergoing surgery on his throwing shoulder last year to address an issue he dealt with as the Titans’ starter in 2024. With lingering pain and the writing on the wall that Cam Ward was getting the keys to Tennessee’s offense, Levis opted to prioritize his long-term health.
Now, in his words, he’s “throwing it how I want to throw it again.”
Suddenly, Levis, a 2023 second-round pick out of Kentucky, is a fourth-year pro. To this point, his NFL career has been a roller coaster. That ride started even before he heard his named called in the draft three years ago.
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Levis infamously was left waiting in the green room. A polarizing prospect notably touted by ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., Levis slid out of the first round. Instead, he became a Day 2 selection. Levis still made his debut as a rookie, though, flashing his toughness, arm talent and emotion amid the final season of Mike Vrabel’s Titans tenure.
The following season, with Brian Callahan at the helm, Levis got his shot as Tennessee’s full-time starter. Granted he wasn’t necessarily in a fruitful situation, but his second-year campaign hardly went to plan. Baffling and meme-worthy turnovers riddled his stint as the Titans’ first-string signal-caller. Levis had encouraging moments; however, the shoulder injury, inconsistencies and poor decisions haunted his season. Tennessee clocked out 3-14, including 2-10 in Levis’ starts.
That record landed the Titans the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft. They used it on Ward, who was permitted to wear Warren Moon’s fabled No. 1 jersey and effectively anointed as the starter before the word “competition” could be even be uttered.
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Out of the spotlight and on injured reserve, Levis aimed to maximum his recovery time. He told reporters Saturday that his hiatus from the game was his first in football since probably second grade. He purports that, in addition to returning to full physical strength, he made strides mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
“I think it was just truly trying to be honest with myself with a lot of things that happened, whether it was on the field, off the field,” he said. “I think I’ve suppressed a lot of emotions I’ve had in the past just to be the person to not care about it.
“But sometimes that’s not healthy. Addressing things that I felt that came up from the past that I wasn’t able to truly move on from — sometimes it’s uncomfortable to have those conversations, and that’s why I avoided it in the past. But being able to have them and have that time off and address them was really helpful.”
Levis said he feels like he was just a kid when he arrived in Nashville as a first-year Titans player. He’s entering the 2026 season as a 27-year-old quarterback on his third NFL full-time head coach. Robert Saleh is running the ship, and Levis is working closely with offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.
Levis discussed how Daboll, most recently the New York Giants’ head coach, strikes a balance between fun and focus. Plus, Levis said he loves the approach Daboll takes toward the QB position. Daboll allows the Titans’ quarterbacks to play with freedom and trusts their decision-making. Levis thinks that’s helped him be more comfortable with getting the offense into other looks.
Centering himself and recallibrating his nervous system was key over the past year, he emphasized. He feels like he’s in a healthier place. Levis is trying to not lose sight of enjoying the game.
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He’s battling for reps with veteran backup Mitchell Trubisky, as well as 2023 third-round pick Hendon Hooker.
“I’m just trying to make the most of every opportunity that I get,” he said. “I can’t control the reps that I get, and I’m trying to take this time to obviously work on myself but [also] bring along others with me. The reps I’ve taken before [were] with mainly the ones and twos, and I have the opportunity to work with guys that are really fighting for a roster position now and trying to bring them along and make as many opportunities for them as much as I’m making opportunities for me.”
“So I’m not worried about the competition per se or the amount of opportunities that they’re going to give me. I just got to make sure that I’m ready for when they are given to me and just preparing to be the best at that as possible.”
It’s clear Levis has tried to look inward since his injury. His confident declaration that he’s capable of starting in the NFL once more is going to turn heads and likely roll eyes. After all, Levis first go at that gig wasn’t convincing.
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Perhaps he’s better equipped to handle any subsequent criticism.
“I feel like I worked a lot for other people’s approval in the beginning of my career,” Levis said. “Whereas I’m just trying to be the best version of me at this point. And I have more confidence than I’ve ever had because of that.
“I don’t need to go out there and win X amount of games before I can feel the confidence. I have the confidence right now. I know I’ve put the tape out there already that I’m a dang good quarterback in this league, and I’m even better than I ever have been.”
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