NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- By removing Will Levis as the Titans' starting quarterback, Brian Callahan basically says his attempt to turn the 2023 second-round pick into the team's answer is over.

Mason Rudolph starting gives Callahan no information and the coach had previously said the season was largely about giving Levis every chance to prove himself and maximizing his opportunities to develop.

I've confirmed what Jeremy Fowler first reported: The Titans are changing starters. 

Callahan is in a tenuous situation, leading a 3-11 team that's shown minimal improvement and no ability to sustain any gains it might make in one department from any given week to the next. His roster is far poorer than what Ran Carthon expected after a free-agent spending spree in the spring due to underperformance and injuries.

Will Levis
Will Levis after he was benched against the Bengals/ Angie Flatt

Callahan said Monday the decision moving forward at QB would include an accountability factor.

The first-year coach was hired in part because of his experience with several big-time quarterbacks including Peyton Manning and Joe Burrow.

But Callahan and his staff have not been able to help Levis make any significant, consistent gains in pocket awareness and decision-making, two areas that were concerns when Carthon and Mike Vrabel oversaw a trade-up and drafted the QB out of Kentucky 33rd overall in 2023.

Levis remains under an affordable contract through 2026, with a guaranteed salary of $1.6 million in 2025 with a $2.6 million cap number and a guaranteed salary of $1.24 million and a cap number of $3.04 million in 2026. per Over the Cap.

The Titans' options for an alternative starter next year are thin, which means Levis' chances aren't entirely dead.

The quarterback draft class is generally viewed as weak, with Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward as the top prospects. The Titans are currently out of range for either if the top QBs are drafted in the first few picks as usual.

Sam Darnold is not under contract next year, but he's having a strong season with Minnesota and will command a big contract if the Vikings let him go or decide on a franchise tag and try to trade him.

Cron Job Starts