Longtime CBS NFL writer Pete Prisco had some major praise for Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis last week. Prisco said Levis compared favorably to Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen due to his physical traits.
Prisco wrote:
That quarterback is Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills. Like Allen, Levis didn’t have big-time completion numbers and accuracy was something many scouts said would hold him back. Like Allen, I thought he would get past it. I see a similar trajectory for Levis as Allen. Yes, that’s high praise, but I believe that’s where he is headed.
This offseason, Tennessee general manager Ran Carthon went all-in on his second-year quarterback. The Titans signed wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd and running back Tony Pollard in free agency. Tennessee also added one of the NFL’s top centers, Lloyd Cushenberry. In the NFL draft, Tennessee used a top-10 pick on left tackle JC Latham.
Perhaps the most significant move was the hiring of former Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as head coach. Callahan has a solid track record of working with young quarterbacks.
With these moves, some think Levis has an excellent shot at success in 2024. Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports recently ranked five unproven quarterbacks and their chances of success this season. Levis was ranked second, behind only Green Bay’s Jordan Love, who recently became one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in NFL history.
Arguably no team — outside of maybe Chicago — made more of an effort to surround their quarterback with talent than the Tennessee Titans. This offseason, the franchise spent big in free agency, adding receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to pair with DeAndre Hopkins, while also signing running back Tony Pollard. Then, the team invested in the offensive line, utilizing the No. 7 overall pick to bring aboard left tackle JC Latham.
That’s the type of surrounding cast that should make life easier for any quarterback and, so long as Levis himself takes a leap in Year 2, the Titans should be a far more competitive club. Levis did flash his potential after taking the starter job, including a four-touchdown performance in his first-ever start, but there were also some rookie lumps mixed in. After spending the entire offseason and summer preparing to be the full-time starter and Tennessee boosting the roster around him, Levis could surprise people with just how big of a leap he takes.