Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Serena Burks

Titans’ Will Levis in rarified QB territory over past 3 years

The debut of an NFL quarterback is dependent on a variety of things. Some quarterbacks are drafted and expected to be starters from the beginning. Some quarterbacks are drafted, developed, and then play in a game.

Aaron Rodgers sat behind Brett Favre for seven years before becoming the star he is today.

But sometimes a rookie quarterback gets thrown into his debut before he’s really ready. The starter goes down with an injury, even a minor one, and he has to take over the game.

An offer for Titans fans

For the best local Nashville news, sports, entertainment and culture coverage, subscribe to The Tennessean.

Over the last three years, 13 rookie quarterbacks selected in the top 100 of the NFL draft have a starting debut in the NFL. Only two of them won the first game they ever started: Malik Willis and Will Levis.

Willis was traded to the Green Bay Packers as part of the Titans’ trimming their roster, but it was also an effort to give him a better shot at playing in a game. But in Week 8 of the 2022 season against the Houston Texans, Willis threw for 55 yards and rushed for 12, leading the Titans to a 17-10 victory.

Levis got his first start in Week 8 of 2024. He threw for 238 yards and four touchdowns, was sacked twice, and rushed for 11 yards on his way to a 28-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

Willis has a ton of potential, which is why Ran Carthon wanted to send him somewhere he knew he’d get a better shot to play. Levis earned the official starting position for the Titans with his play last season.

Being a quarterback in the NFL is hard, but the Titans have managed to produce two rookies capable of winning in their starting debut.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.