Tag: Will Levis

With Super Bowl in town, 2024 LIV Golf Las Vegas has loaded pro-am field

A handful of Las Vegas athletes and sports personalities are on hand at Las Vegas Country Club.

It’s Super Bowl week and the big game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers has brought a who’s who of celebrities and athletes to Sin City, but the NFL isn’t the only show in town.

The LIV Golf League is hosting its second event of the 2024 season down the strip at Las Vegas Country Club, Feb. 8-10, and Wednesday’s pro-am features a loaded field of current and former NFL players, World Series champion MLB players, Fortune 500 executives and more. The format will see three amateurs play the front nine holes with one LIV Golf pro and the back nine with another pro. Check out who’s in the field below.

All 32 NFL QBs (including Panthers’ Bryce Young) ranked by passer rating for the 2023 regular season

32 starting QBs ranked by their 2023 passer ratings

Well, let’s just look back at this like a “Started from the bottom, now we here” meme by next year, shall we?

Here are all 32 NFL quarterbacks, including Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers, ranked by passer rating from the 2023 season:

Peyton Manning talks Titans’ Brian and Bill Callahan, Will Levis, more

Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning shared his thoughts on Titans head coach Brian Callahan, QB Will Levis and much more.

You’ll find few bigger fans of new Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan than Hall of Fame quarterback, Peyton Manning.

Callahan and Manning spent four years together with the Denver Broncos, which included a Super Bowl victory in 2015. Callahan served as a quality control coach and offensive assistant during his days in Denver.

Manning praised Callahan before he was even considered for the Titans gig, and he did so once again while attending the Pro Bowl Games this week.

“He’s extremely hard working, he’s smart, he’s grown up around football, he’s tough,” Manning said, per Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com. “He’s been in different coaching environments – Denver, Detroit, Cincinnati, the Raiders. So, he’s seen how it works different places, and I’m sure he’s learned some things to do, and maybe what not to do.

“He has earned this opportunity, he’s paid his dues, he’s done the grunt work. He and I used to text at 1 o’clock in the morning, he was over at the complex still, breaking film down and was not leaving any time soon. I appreciated his work ethic during my time in Denver, and that is not going to leave him ever. The Titans are getting a guy who is going to give it everything he has. It looks like he is putting together a good staff, and I’m pulling hard for him.”

Manning also touched on Brian’s dad, Bill, who is set to become the Titans’ next offensive line coach. He also stated that Derrick Henry would love working with both and that he should stay in Tennessee.

“Brian Callahan would love Derrick Henry, and vice versa,” Manning said. “There’s obviously the business side that comes into play, and that’s up for (GM) Ran Carthon and his staff to decide.

“But Brian Callahan appreciates a good running game, his dad is coming over, and his dad is the best line coach in the NFL. I know he appreciates a good back. (Tennessee) would be a great place for Derrick to continue to play, in my opinion.”

Manning revealed that he spoke with Titans general manager Ran Carthon during the head-coach interview process and feels that hiring Callahan will be great for quarterback Will Levis because Callahan, who will be calling the plays, can’t be poached by another team, which creates stability.

“But now you are looking for some continuity in the system, and the good thing about Brian – I know he is calling the plays this year – is it will be the same system the entire time, and that is so critical to a quarterback.

“That’s what I had in my career, Joe Burrow is going to have the same system as long as Zac Taylor is there (in Cincinnati), so that is a real plus for any young quarterback, and Will will benefit from that.

“It’s quarterback friendly, there’s answers on every play, and as a quarterback that is what you are looking for.”

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Where do the 2024 NFL draft quarterbacks rank compared to last year’s class?

We take a look at how the 2023 crop of rookie quarterbacks compare to the group coming out this year and rank them.

Quarterbacks are the central focus of every NFL draft, and landing the right one is like hitting the proverbial lottery. Last year we saw a trio of quarterbacks go in the first round, and another one that was projected to go near the top of the draft but eventually found a home in Tennessee. This year’s draft class has a similar number of potential stars at the position. One fun question is: Where would they fit had they been in last year’s class?

I don’t think there is much debate who is at the top of these two combined classes, and it hasn’t been much of a secret over the last two seasons. Caleb Williams would have been the No. 1 overall pick last year, and his grade this year still reflects that. After Williams likely comes last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Bryce Young, who likely would be the second quarterback taken had he been coming out this year.

With the top two signal-callers out of the way, the conversation becomes quite interesting as the next three players tend to land in a similar grading area. Rookie phenom C.J. Stroud, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye and LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels could all slot in as the third-best in this hypothetical group. Ultimately the way that Stroud showed out in his last couple of college games, and just how clean of a prospect he was, would likely lift him just above the other three players given their question marks. Richardson is an athletic marvel with perhaps the highest ceiling we have seen out of a quarterback, and he showed off those flashes often at Florida. Maye and Daniels will both likely also land in the top five, and there isn’t a massive difference between the group — they just have flaws that perhaps didn’t weigh Stroud down quite as much.

The rest of the group consists of Will Levis (now with the Tennessee Titans), Washington’s Michael Penix, Oregon’s Bo Nix and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. There is a lot of the draft process still to play out for this crop of soon-to-be rookies. Any one of the three could land in the first round given a solid pre-draft performance, but it’s hard to picture any of them possessing quite the same skill set as Levis.

One thing is certain: We have been blessed with two years of absolutely fantastic quarterback classes, and we all hope this level of talent keeps creeping its way into the NFL level.

Final 2023/2024 NFL draft rankings:

1. Caleb Williams, QB, USC
2. Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
3. C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
4. Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
5. Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
6. Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
7. Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
8. Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
9. Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
10. J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan

Tennessee Titans 2024 offseason preview: Quarterback

We take a look at the Titans’ situation at quarterback going into the 2024 offseason and what they should do.

The Tennessee Titans saw a changing of the guard at the quarterback spot in 2023, with rookie signal-caller Will Levis taking the reins of the starting job from veteran Ryan Tannehill.

Despite a terrible offensive line and a poor receiving corps., the second-round pick posted some impressive performances and showed more than enough for the Titans to move forward with him as their franchise quarterback.

Now, it’s all about surrounding Levis with the pieces necessary in free agency and the draft in order to put him in the best possible position to continue to develop and succeed.

The first thing was to hire an offensive-minded head coach who has a more modern approach — and the Titans did just that with the hiring of Brian Callahan, who has stressed the importance of a good passing game.

Adding to that, he has a ton of experience working with quarterbacks, both young and old, and Callahan will be the play-caller, also, which means the Titans won’t have to worry about getting their guy poached.

Having a franchise quarterback in tow is a huge piece of the puzzle the Titans have, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have some work to do at the position this offseason.

Here’s a look at which Titans quarterbacks are under contract, pending free agents, and what the team’s biggest needs are at the position.

Tyjae Spears named Titans ‘unsung hero’ for 2023

Tyjae Spears was named the Titans’ “unsung hero” of 2023 by NFL.com, but as good as he was, there was a better choice.

In an article naming every team’s “unsung hero” from the 2023 campaign, running back Tyjae Spears was the pick for the Tennessee Titans.

The article comes from Kevin Patra of NFL.com. Here’s what he had to say about the 2023 third-round pick:

Tyjae Spears proved to be a dynamic change-of-pace back alongside Derrick Henry, showing electric burst and Austin Ekeler-type ability in the passing game. Able to find slivers in the defense, Spears earned 4.5 yards per carry on just 100 totes. He added 385 receiving yards, second-most among rookie running backs, despite playing far fewer snaps than fellow rookies Bijan Robinson (487 receiving yards) or Jahmyr Gibbs (316). Spears shined down the stretch, generating 72 receiving yards over expected in the final five weeks, fourth-most among all RBs, per Next Gen Stats. With Henry likely moving on from Tennessee, the Titans appear to have found a dual-threat back to feature in 2024.

Spears was phenomenal during his rookie campaign, with the Tulane product tallying 838 yards from scrimmage, the 10th-most among all rookies and the fourth-most among first-year backs.

And, truth be told, he could’ve had a lot more if not for the terrible offensive line in front of him. Spears also split work with Derrick Henry, further limiting his opportunities and production.

Spears definitely didn’t get the kind of shine quarterback Will Levis received, but that’s to be expected with how much signal-callers are valued in today’s NFL. Even still, Titans fans know just how damn good he is.

Looking ahead to 2024, it remains to be seen if the Titans will re-sign Henry, but regardless of what happens with the franchise great, Spears has earned himself a bigger role.

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Titans’ Brian Callahan is a believer in Will Levis

Titans head coach Brian Callahan expressed his excitement for the opportunity to work with Will Levis.

When looking for a new head coach to replace Mike Vrabel, the Tennessee Titans had to find someone who believes in Will Levis as much as they do.

Well, you can count new head coach Brian Callahan as one of the believers.

When asked about Levis during his introductory press conference on Thursday, Callahan expressed his excitement to work with the young quarterback and his “special physical talents.”

“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know him,” Callahan said, according to John Glennon of Nashville Post. “I can’t wait to get to work with him. He’s got a lot of really special physical talents that I’m excited to go see if we can make better. Everything about him so far has been fantastic, and I’m excited to get to go further down into it.”

Callahan wasn’t only impressed with Levis’ physical tools and pointed out the young quarterback’s competitiveness and the overall growth he showed in Year 1.

“I thought Will was a really good player coming out of college,” Callahan said. “When you watched him play this year, you saw growth. You saw him learn. The NFL is hard. It’s hard on quarterbacks. It’s particularly hard on young ones.

“So I saw a lot of really positive things,” he added. “Some of the throws, some of his competitive instincts that he put on tape, were really impressive. So I’m excited to dive more into that, and how he can get better from year one to year two, and keep putting him in position to have success so we can score some points on offense.”

One way the Titans can put Levis in a position to have success is by beefing up both the offensive line and wide receivers, two position groups that desperately need multiple additions.

That said, Levis is in good hands with Callahan, who has a history of not only coaching quarterbacks, but having success with them, also.

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Titans QB Will Levis’ helmet on display at Pro Football HOF

Thanks to his historic debut in 2023, Titans QB Will Levis now has his helmet on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Thanks to his historic debut in Week 8 of the 2023 season against the Atlanta Falcons, the helmet of Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis is now on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Levis exploded onto the scene in his first start, with the rookie signal-caller throwing for 238 yards and four touchdowns, marking just the third time in NFL history a first-year quarterback has thrown that many scores in their debut.

The other two to accomplish that feat were Minnesota Vikings great Fran Tarkenton and former Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota.

As a result, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has opened up an exhibit for Levis and it features the Houston Oilers helmet he wore during the aforementioned contest, according to Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com.

After being drafted in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft, Levis finished his first season in the league with 1,808 passing yards and eight touchdowns to four interceptions.

More importantly, he’s given the fan base and the franchise hope he can be the long-term solution under center.

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Titans 2023 season awards: MVP, Rookie of the Year and more

With the 2023 season in the books, we’re handing out awards for the best (and worst) Titans players.

While the 2023 campaign certainly wasn’t a banner year for the Tennessee Titans, who finished with a 6-11 record and in last place in the AFC South, there were still some standout performances for the team to hang its hat on.

The Titans saw some key veterans answer the bell on both sides of the ball, but there were also some young players who stepped up to give hope for Tennessee’s future.

Adding to that, the Titans also saw some players rebound after suffering serious injuries the year prior.

We go over those players and more as we take a look at our Titans 2023 season awards.

Grades for Titans’ 2023 draft picks after first season

With their first season in the books, we’re grading the performance of each Titans 2023 draft pick.

The Tennessee Titans made a total of six picks in the 2023 NFL draft in what was the first for Ran Carthon as general manager.

Tennessee started off the draft by taking Peter Skoronski, who settled in at left guard. The Titans then drafted quarterback Will Levis, running back Tyjae Spears, tight end Josh Whyle, offensive tackle Jaelyn Duncan and wide receiver Colton Dowell.

While those players had varying degrees of success, the overwhelming thought is that it was a successful first year for the draft class as a whole, which has led to plenty of praise for Carthon.

But as you’ll see in our grades for each draft pick following the 2023 season, that was largely a result of the performances of the top half of the class.