It can only go up from here. The Tennessee Titans earned the right to have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, mostly because they were terrible a season ago. Tennessee used the first overall selection on former Miami Hurricanes standout quarterback Cam Ward. While it remains to be seen how ready he is to lead an NFL team on his own, the Titans' former starter, Will Levis, is not ready to give up his job yet.
Levis made his first comments at Titans OTAs earlier this week since Tennessee drafted Ward. While he does like what he sees out of the rookie quarterback, you can just tell that he is fighting for his NFL life after a frustrating first season under new head coach Brian Callahan last year. Levis' time in Nashville has been rocky at best, but he still has a (very) outside shot of being able to retain the starting job.
He touched on how his working rapport has been with Ward so far upon meeting for the first time.
“He’s been great. I’m here for him whenever I can be. He’s a really smart kid, and we’ve been able to talk a lot about the installs we’ve been going through and hearing his perspective and how he sees things. He’s a heck of an athlete and a heck of a quarterback. It’s been fun going out there and playing with him."
Levis then backed it up by saying he is not going to change how he views himself in the locker room.
“I haven’t been a backup in awhile, but I don’t plan on shifting my mindset, regardless of what the situation is. I’m just going to be ready to play quarterback whenever my name is called."
It goes without saying that we have a quarterback battle on our hands in Nashville, but who will win it?
Will Levis plans to battle Cam Ward for Tennessee Titans starting job
If I were Callahan, I would keep this as close to the vest as possible. Eventually, it will present itself if Ward is ready to take the starting job from Levis or not. In time, he will be given the opportunity to start, but it might not be as early as you would think it will. This is not a good situation in Nashville. Tennessee was the worst team in the NFL for a reason. Why subject Ward to being clobbered early?
It is why I am increasingly of the belief that Levis will be the Week 1 starter for the Titans, before eventually giving way to Ward sometime well before Halloween. Whoever ends up having better command of the offense will win the starting job. Levis may be an incredibly erratic player, but he does know the system a little better than Ward from having played in it a year longer than him.
Even though I am not the biggest believer in Ward's game translating to the next level, Tennessee drafted him No. 1 overall with every intention of him starting games for the Titans this season. They do have the tactical ploy of having the fifth-year option when it comes to Ward. Tennessee does not have that with Levis, who will be entering his third NFL season out of Kentucky as a second-rounder.
We must be patient, but I fully expect the quarterback battle between Levis and Ward to continue.