I’m not sure how or why Titans quarterback Will Levis became such a popular topic of discussion in recent weeks. Maybe it’s just my Twitter algorithm showing me this content because I absolutely love seeing you guys cook Colts, Jags, and Texans fans that ignorantly besmirch the good name of William Donovan Levis when they clearly didn’t watch his tape from 2023. I don’t know. But, Twitter is like “Stoney is eating this shit up so let’s show him more MORE MORE!” Rival fans shit talking isn’t exactly anything new. But, I’ll admit that I was somewhat surprised to see so many in the national media so low on Levis.
Surely, real #FilmGuys understood the circumstances that led to Levis’ inconsistent rookie season? The guy was fighting for his life on every play behind an offensive line that was held together by duct tape. The pass catchers weren’t exactly separating by a mile out there. It was messy to say the least. But, no. Despite Levis looking like a bona fide superstar at times, there’s still a large contingency of national folks that seem to think the guy stinks. If I’m not mistaken, and I don’t feel like actually looking it up, I believe it was The 33rd Team that ranked Levis as the 32nd of 32 starting NFL quarterbacks (how’s that for journalism?). I brushed it off like I do most of the national noise – people don’t particularly care about the Titans, and the media has grown pretty savvy to the fact that it’s an easy fan base to rile up online. So, they’re either just not going to put in the work to truly understand this team, or they’re purposefully saying crazy shit to stir up engagement. Do your thing, but what the national media thinks about the Titans shouldn’t be a real factor in your fandom. I chalked it up to the “same old shit” because like many of you, I actually watched Levis and saw those moments of brilliance in 2023.
Every Big-Time Throw from Will Levis in 2023 (17/5.82%) pic.twitter.com/tm1As1mGNO
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) May 15, 2024
But, recently, I’ve noticed a few film analysts posting videos of Levis saying, “pump the brakes this guy ain’t too shabby, actually…” On last week’s episode of Football & Other F Words, I told Mike that the Titans are just the team that you don’t get around to until May or June if you’re a national analyst. It’s the slow time of the season when guys can finally get around to the Titans, Panthers, and Jags of the NFL. So, it’s like there’s been this conversation about whether or not Levis is worth a shit, with most clinging to his draft slide as supposed evidence that he’s not “the guy,” but now that people are actually getting around to the tape, they’re singing a different tune.
Brian Callahan recently sat down with Robert Mays of The Athletic for an awesome and illuminating interview on what the transition to head coach has been like and much more. In it, he talks about Levis, and it’s clear that he thinks this is a guy that the Titans can really make a run to build around. The additions they’ve made this offseason seem to indicate a plan to capitalize on his rookie contract window – adding Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd, Tony Pollard, revamping the offensive line…hell, even beefing up the secondary in an effort to defend the pass better should help alleviate some of the issues that plagued Levis’ growth in 2023.
As Mike and I touched on this topic on last week’s show, I mentioned that I was pretty sold on Levis from the moment the season ended. I went from #NeverLevis last spring to #OnlyLevis in January. While we knew he had the arm talent. We knew the guy looked like he was built in a lab to play quarterback. He could heave a deep ball, and he wasn’t afraid of contact. But, it was something that Callahan mentioned in that interview with Mays that felt like the secret sauce to the whole thing. Levis never really looked as though the moment was too big for him in 2023. He played with a certain toughness that earned his teammates’ respect, and he played with the confidence it takes to be a franchise quarterback. I’m with Callahan – you want to see that completion percentage come up a bit. I think he should focus on getting better on the short-intermediate stuff. But, man…that attitude that makes guys want to play for him…that’s not something you can coach, and it’s something that I didn’t know he had in him when I initially scouted his tape from Kentucky. That’s why I was sold on him. You can’t teach that, and what Levis does need to work on is something you totally can.
Now that people are finally starting to get around to watching the Titans, Levis is actually starting to pop up on the underrated side of the quarterback conversation. Rightfully so. Some of the talk surrounding him has been unhinged. You’re going to throw his completion percentage at us? You’re going to use the Titans win-loss record against him? Respectfully, gtfoh with fake football smart guy stuff. Who knows what the future truly holds? Maybe there’s no chemistry with the new regime. Maybe Levis can’t stay healthy. A number of things can stunt his growth. But, for where we are today, Levis is much closer to ‘top 10 quarterback’ than he is ‘worst starting quarterback in the NFL.’ Watch the tape.
Mike Herndon and I dove into this narrative shift surrounding Will Levis and much more on the latest episode of Football & Other F Words. Subscribe to Football & Other F Words on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify, or wherever you take in your shows!
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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