So much for the quarterback competition in Tennessee.
The Tennessee Titans entered training camp believing there would be a quarterback competition with No. 1 overall pick Cameron Ward and former second-round pick Will Levis. Those plans fell by the wayside on Monday as the Titans announced Levis was undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery, essentially handing the job to Ward, who would have at least benefited from being pushed during training camp.
“We support [Levis’] decision to focus on his long-term health,” the Titans said in a statement. “He approached the offseason with professionalism and showed clear growth as a leader. We remain confident in his full recovery.”
Shoulder surgery is certainly an interesting development for Levis, who suffered a sprained AC joint in the same throwing shoulder last season but had just participated in Titans minicamp with seemingly zero aggravation of the injury. Levis missed multiple games in 2024 with the shoulder injury. He threw for 13 touchdowns to 12 interceptions for 2,091 years. His QBR was 27.8, which ranked No. 32 in the NFL. He lost five fumbles on the disappointing sophomore campaign, which dashed much hope he could bloom into a run-and-gun freelancer.
That we are on the eve of Titans training camp with no noise on any injury during minicamp — “I feel great,” Levis told reporters last month — makes the sudden surgery feel peculiarly out of left field. A conspiracy theorist would say it’s a face-saving move before he embarks on a QB battle he was likely destined to lose — one that sets up a rather obvious next bet.
Was Levis going to win the quarterback job?
There was always a chance for Levis to win the job, but given the recent success of top-2 quarterbacks over the last two seasons, Levis winning the job was a longshot. The Panthers started Bryce Young immediately, as did the Texans with C.J. Stroud (Stroud won Rookie of the Year). The Bears and Commanders did the same with Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels last season (Daniels won ROY).
Ward would have had to beat Levis out for the job, but we would have expected him to do that based on his draft status as the No. 1 pick and the Titans offense struggling with Levis and Mason Rudolph throughout all of last season. The 2025 season represents a reset for the franchise with Ward.
Levis alternated first-team reps with Ward in minicamp, and that likely would have been the case in training camp and the preseason until one quarterback seized control of the job. The Titans surely would have been preferring for Ward to win the job.
Does Levis have a future in Tennessee?
In short, not as a starting quarterback. This makes the shoulder surgery this late in the summer precarious. Levis fully participated in OTAs and minicamp with no reported issues to his shoulder, yet reportedly experienced discomfort during minicamp and sought a second opinion. The result is season-ending surgery to Levis more time to heal throughout 2025 with the hopes of a full recovery next season, which would be the final year of his rookie deal in Nashville.
Would it have benefitted Levis to play this season and compete for the job? Depends on how significant the shoulder injury was and how the injury kept recurring, probably not. A fresh start with a healed shoulder could so Levis some good as he seeks a starting opportunity somewhere else.
The chapter appears to be closed in Tennessee, which might have said the right things when it announced the Levis news but can’t be pleased its quarterback depth on the eve of training camp now amounts to a rookie plus Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle, nor can it be pleased that Levis has no shot at ever again boosting his trade value.
A similar situation Levis has faced before?
Levis was a quarterback that rose up the draft boards from since transferring from Penn State to Kentucky in 2021, and was a projected top pick in the draft before falling to the top of the second round at No. 33 overall. The Titans traded up to get him.
While Levis wasn’t a first-round pick, he was selected at the top of the second round for a reason. Being the No. 33 overall pick typically means a franchise will give a player a longer leash as a starter, but the previous general manager (Ran Carthon) and head coach (Mike Vrabel) aren’t in Tennessee anymore.
This situation is similar to the one Levis faced at Penn State in 2019 and 2020. Joe Moorhead was the offensive coordinator when Penn State recruited Levis, but Moorhead then left to take the head coaching job at Mississippi State. Ricky Rahne took over the offensive coordinator reins and Penn State named Sean Clifford the starter, and Clifford won 11 games while never doing anything to lose the job to Levis. When Rahne left and new offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca kept Levis as a running quarterback behind Clifford, Levis trusted his talent and transferred out to Kentucky for an opportunity to start. He thrived.
Levis bet on himself once and it paid off. Perhaps that’s the thought process in getting out of Tennessee: Go to an offense that suits his skill set.
What is Levis’ cap situation?
Levis is in the third year of a four-year rookie contract he signed in 2023. The contract was worth $9.5 million, with $8.7 million in guarantees. He carries a cap number of $2.6 million in 2025 and $3 million in 2026. The Titans would only save $632,000 in cap space if they trade Levis this year, but $2 million if they traded him prior to the 2026 season — so dealing Levis next offseason would be better for booth Levis and the franchise.
Remember Levis is just 26-years-old and has a year left on his rookie deal after this season.
What’s next for Levis?
Levis has almost definitely taken his last snap as a Titan.
The Titans insisted back in April they weren’t going to trade Levis, citing his value as a competitor for Ward and a steadying force in the quarterback room. A strong camp from Levis would have boosted his trade value; the Titans would have welcomed any draft compensation for a quarterback they’d already publicly moved on from.
The shoulder surgery strips away that leverage. His value drops. And when Tennessee eventually shops him, they’ll be marketing a quarterback they chose to replace.
If Ward shines in 2025, Levis will want out — loudly. If Ward struggles, the Titans will want someone more reliable behind him as an Andy Dalton-like stabilizer. Either way, the decision was made in April when the Titans drafted Ward. Levis’ camp just made it official.
