NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans have decided to keep second-year quarterback Will Levis on the sidelines, opting to start backup Mason Rudolph, who is currently with the team on a one-year contract. This change was announced on Wednesday and provides the Titans (3-11) an opportunity to demonstrate their growth under new head coach Brian Callahan as they prepare to face the Indianapolis Colts (6-8) this Sunday.
Callahan expressed that he believes this decision will benefit the team in the final weeks of the season, allowing them to evaluate what Rudolph can contribute to the offense. The Titans made a coaching change with Callahan, who has a strong background in offensive strategies and has worked with notable quarterbacks like Peyton Manning and Joe Burrow. Despite missing portions of the season due to injury, Levis has been responsible for 17 of the Titans’ league-high 29 turnovers.
The first-year head coach emphasized that this is a week-by-week evaluation process and refrained from making any long-term commitments regarding the starting quarterback position. “This doesn’t mean the door is closed on Will’s potential as a successful quarterback,” Callahan remarked. “In this situation, given where we are in the season, I thought we could benefit from a change at the quarterback position for a spark.”
Levis has displayed a mixed performance this season, tallying 12 touchdowns against 12 interceptions in 11 games, and amassing a total of 1,916 passing yards. Meanwhile, Rudolph is set to make his fourth start of the season, having passed for 1,015 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions. His most recent performance saw him attempting to rally the team in last week’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Rudolph emphasized that his focus remains on winning the game against the Colts rather than thinking about the future, whether with the Titans or elsewhere. “Every athlete aims to showcase their abilities and build a lasting career, but my primary concern is securing a victory on Sunday and celebrating that with my teammates,” Rudolph stated.
Will Levis was selected by general manager Ran Carthon in this year’s NFL Draft, with the team trading up to secure the 33rd overall pick. Levis had shown potential for improvement, having gone two games without throwing interceptions before encountering issues against Cincinnati, where he faced a tough hit from Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson and lost a fumble. Following that, he turned the ball over three times within a short span, even throwing a pick-six which marked his NFL-leading fourth of the season. This prompted Callahan to replace Levis with Rudolph.
In his previous outing, Rudolph completed 21 of 26 passes for 209 yards, registering two touchdown throws and one interception while achieving a passer rating of 109.8 against a struggling pass defense.
After Mike Vrabel was let go in January following two consecutive losing seasons for the franchise, Titans’ controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk is hopeful this current crew can avoid the significant defeat margins witnessed in the past. The team currently looks to stave off matching the record low of 14 losses in a single season dating back to Ken Whisenhunt’s first year in 2014, which was also the time the franchise relocated to Tennessee.
Rudolph’s career record stands at 9-6-1, with a 1-2 record this season. His past success includes five wins in 2019 while playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who drafted him 76th overall in 2018.
Levis referred to the decision to bench him as a tough and disappointing moment but remains hopeful it does not define his career path. He expressed confidence in his potential to become a franchise quarterback, highlighting this year as one of significant personal growth. “I truly believe I improved and definitely don’t want this to be my concluding chapter. I see a positive future ahead, whether here or elsewhere, and I plan to demonstrate that I can still be the right choice for the team,” Levis concluded.