Will Levis has already found one issue with the Tennessee Titans after he was drafted by the AFC South franchise - the use of turf at Nissan Stadium.
Last week, Levis was selected 33rd overall by the Titans in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. It brought to an end one of the biggest slides in recent draft history, with the football world watching as the young quarterback fell out of the first round.
Ultimately, the Titans picked Levis in the second round and it may prove to be a blessing in disguise for both the franchise and the player. Ryan Tannehill is likely to be moved on, so Levis has a shot at becoming the long-term answer for the team.
However, a bone of contention has already been discovered between Levis and the Titans. The 23-year-old has spoken out in favour of natural grass against turf, claiming brutal long-term injuries are more likely to go down on the artificial surface.
Ahead of the draft, Levis joined San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle, Green Bay Packers ace David Bakhtiari, fellow rookie Bryan Bresee and sports performance specialist Jeremy Holt to discuss the debate between turf and grass. Kittle has been in favour of natural grass for some time, but owners opt to continue using turf as it is easier to maintain.
This is clear when it comes to the Titans. The franchise have traditionally played on natural grass, but they are set to switch to turf ahead of the 2023 season and will continue using the artificial surface once their new stadium opens in 2027.
Clearly, Levis would prefer the franchise to retain grass. While he played on turf at Kentucky, the rookie strongly believes player safety should be paramount, which would see each of the 32 NFL teams to transition to grass.
Levis wrote at the time: "As I start my pro football career, I think about the guys who came before me and have championed a safer way to play football. Excited to join the next generation in advocating for teams to play on grass."
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel has spoken about the move to use turf at the home stadium, suggesting the decision was due to ‘consistency’. He said: “There is nothing more important than the health and safety of our players. We’ve had a lot of issues (with the grass at Nissan Stadium) after a certain part of the season. It’s hard to grow grass. It gets slick. We put new turf down, we try and put new sod down and it’s slick, you see guys slipping. Those are real things that I’ve witnessed over my time here.
“Our grass surface is not on the level of some of the other grass surfaces (across the NFL). At the beginning of the year, summer, training camp, early season, I can see it being very consistent. But as the season wears on, and the weather changes, there is a noticeable difference in performance of the field.”
Clearly, the use of turf rather than grass will not be a deal breaker for Levis. But it's a wider issue that he clearly wishes the Titans and NFL would take a different direction on.
