With OTAs over and training camps still weeks away, plenty of questions are circling the NFL. Charles McDonald is tackling them this summer.
The Tennessee Titans have ushered in a new era with an offensive-minded head coach to pair with Will Levis, their second-year quarterback who is walking into the season as the entrenched starter. Teams will often tell the truth on how they feel about their quarterback talent based on the moves they make in the offseason, and the Titans have been loud and clear: They believe in Will Levis. Or at least, they’re intrigued enough to see what happens in 2024.
The Titans went just about all out in their approach to get Levis help on offense with free agency signings and draft picks. They’ve set themselves up to fairly gather information on Levis’ future, which is really the most important aspect of their season.
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DeAndre Hopkins and Tyjae Spears were already in the fold. They signed Calvin Ridley to a huge deal, added Tony Pollard to their backfield and selected Alabama offensive tackle JC Latham with the seventh pick in the draft. Those are sizable investments, particularly Ridley’s deal which came in at a whopping $23 million per year. It’s hard to say that they would make those investments around Levis and then also say that they don’t believe in him. It’s been discussed ad nauseam that the best tool toward building an effective team is having a good, young quarterback on a rookie deal. Levis is not a good player yet, but these moves suggest that the Titans are least giving him the chance to get there.
Levis’ rookie season was a mixed bag. The physical talent and ability to throw the ball can’t be questioned. However, the down-to-down accuracy and decision-making left a lot of room to be desired. Having players like Ridley and Hopkins to throw to should at least make his life a bit easier as he continues to get used to what playing at the NFL level is like. It’s not the worst bet in the world, and his physical skills give the Titans and new head coach Brian Callahan a nice floor to work with at the very least.
Levis should be given some time to adjust to a new offense. It’s not going to be the same offense that featured Derrick Henry in the backfield in recent years. The scheme should be a bit more spread out, which will be an adjustment — but one that could end up benefiting Levis in the long run. Even though Hopkins and Ridley are older, veteran receivers, the duo will at least give Levis the experience he needs to make the most of this. Their presence will also help buoy a young offensive line that’s still looking to make its imprint on the league, with a brand new rookie left tackle who primarily played on the right side in college.
Will these improvements pan out for the Titans? That remains to be seen, but they’ve done what every team with a promising young quarterback should do: give them the best tools needed to succeed. If this experiment doesn’t work out or fails spectacularly, at least the next quarterback will have talent to work with.
