Throughout the offseason, the Titans were very intentional in how they curated Cam Ward’s acclimation process. His development was assessed through a daily lens — not measured by how close he was to starting or being a franchise quarterback. Coach Brian Callahan didn’t even name Ward the starter in the spring, even though the No. 1 overall pick is universally expected to be Tennessee’s QB1 come opening day.
“There’s so much work to be done between now and [the season], particularly for him,” Callahan said in May. “[There are] so many things that you have to learn as a young quarterback. So I don’t get too far down that road personally with him.”
A big reason for that measured tone is because of Will Levis. The former second-round pick’s failures last season have informed Tennessee’s approach. Levis had no resistance for QB1 status at the start of last year. He was handed the keys to the car as soon as Callahan was named head coach in January 2024. The results were disastrous: In 12 starts, Levis had a 2-10 record and tied for a league-high in turnovers with 18.
But there was value to his presence for the 2025 Titans. With the news Monday that Levis will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, that value is gone.
“We support his decision to focus on his long-term health,” the Titans said in a statement. “He approached the offseason with professionalism and showed clear growth as a leader. We remain confident in his full recovery.”
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At the very least, Levis was Tennessee’s best backup behind Ward. Currently, the team’s only other options are Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle, both added this offseason. They’ve started a combined 15 games in 11 NFL seasons. Expect the Titans to look to add a veteran with notable starting experience to the QB room.
With Will Levis out, Cam Ward’s backups are Brandon Allen (No. 10) and Tim Boyle (No. 15), who have two total wins between them as starting NFL quarterbacks. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
Levis was someone who could push the No. 1 pick in practices (as he did in spurts during the offseason program, when he had a strong showing). He’s someone more than capable of starting in a pinch, someone who gave Tennessee the leeway to develop Ward on a more comfortable timeline.
With Levis out, there’s no more safety net for Ward and the Titans. His accelerated growth must begin in training camp, which starts Wednesday.
It’s paramount because of the size of the challenge in Week 1, when the Titans travel to face the Broncos. A playoff team in 2024, Denver boasts an elite defense that has gotten even better this offseason on paper with the additions of first-round pick Jahdae Barron and former 49ers Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga. The Broncos ranked first in the NFL last season in EPA allowed per pass and quarterback pressures, and third in pressure rate and points allowed, according to Next Gen Stats. They play an aggressive style of defense under experienced coordinator Vance Joseph, who will be eager to rattle a rookie quarterback like Ward. Denver had the fourth-highest blitz rate in the league last season.
It’s not an ideal first NFL game for a green passer.
The good thing for the Titans, though, is that Ward seems up to challenges. He displayed steady improvement in offseason practices, showcasing an early comfort in attacking the middle of the field. He bounced back from interceptions and missed opportunities with big plays, including touchdown passes. He wasn’t afraid to bark back at his trash-talking defensive teammates, including Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. As an unproven rookie, Ward has shown the Titans as much as they could hope for before the start of training camp.
“We needed a little bit of edge to us. … Cam has a little bit of that to him,” offensive coordinator Nick Holz said in June. “And everybody feeds off of that, which is good.”
The Titans lost a safety net with Levis’ decision to have surgery, sure. The timing makes it worse. But Ward was going to have to transcend the safety net anyway, sooner rather than later. That’s what a No. 1 pick does. That’s what a franchise quarterback does.
Is that what Ward will do?
Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
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