NFL 2024 season - Tennessee Titans team preview

Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz and NFL writer Frank Schwab discuss how Will Levis will perform in the 2024 NFL season and whether or not he has the talent to be the franchise quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. Hear the full conversation on the “Zero Blitz” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Video transcript

Frank, you're next up with the team.

When we started this show, we had some heated debates on the Tennessee Titans.

I was all in on the Titans last year.

I'm a moron.

Frank.

What is your question now?

For the ti I think it's obvious with the Titans.

Uh The one big thing for the Titans this year is can, will Levis be their franchise quarterback and I think the term franchise quarterback gets overused sometimes it mean it to many, it means like some MVP type of guy, whereas I'm just talking about he be the guy who just is the answer for a decade, whether he's the 15th best quarterback in the NFL or, or, or even better than that.

Can they just go into every single off-season saying, well, we don't need to worry about quarterback.

We have Will Levis, he's at least good enough to win with if we build a good team around him, I just don't know with Will Levis, he was really good at times last year.

I mean, you look back, his first game throws a four touchdowns against the Falcons, the comeback against the Dolphins.

I thought he was excellent in that game also had a good game against Jacksonville in a loss but in the games, the other games, he, he wasn't that good.

He needs to find some consistency with this.

Can we see that for a touchdown against Atlanta?

Will vis most of the season maybe he was a guy who I remember it was kind of ridiculous, but people were saying maybe this is the first pick of the draft.

I do think he has that physical talent.

I think he has that Josh Allen e qualities to his game.

But I think the Titans need to figure out sooner rather than later.

Is this the guy who we just check that box every year?

Ok.

It's 2032.

Will Levis is our franchise quarterback.

We don't need to worry about that or are they fishing in these waters again next year?

Because if will have it stinks, they're probably gonna be drafting in the top five next year.

Well, and, and they'll be drafting a quarterback at that point, right?

Like, because this is not Callahan's quarterback and new head coach, this is that comes from Cincinnati, that understands what a great quarterback looks like.

This is not Joe Burrow, this is not the quarterback he drafted either.

So I think it's a very fair question.

Uh, you know, of where they should stand on this.

And what's interesting to me, I'll go back to what a couple of people that covered him closely in college, told me that in college, he had a hard time letting go of his mistakes.

So he would throw an interception in the first quarter and in the fourth quarter, still be thinking about it.

And he's the sort of guy that really needs to be built up by the coaching staff.

He needs to be sort of insulated and managed by the coaching staff in a way that he can handle the emotions because he can be hard, he can be hard on himself in a way that is actually detrimental to his play.

That sticks to me because he's on a team that's gonna need him to take some chances, which means he's gonna throw some picks.

He's got some good weapons around him.

Can they as a coaching staff get the best around him?

II, I really think that one of the hardest teams to figure out this off season are the Titans because they've done the right things around Will Leis, I just don't know what to expect from Will Levis and to be fair to what I said about the Patriots earlier.

I don't know what to expect from Callahan as a first time head coach.

So I think the Titans are in a bit of a transition.

I wouldn't be stunned to see the Titans suddenly find themselves right around 500.

I wouldn't be stunned to see the Titans with five wins.

I know it feels like that's a cop out, but I just don't know what to expect from this team.

So I think you're 1000%.

Right.

Yeah, let me ask you just straight up in five years is Will Levis the starting quarterback of the Titans because I'll say I kind of think he is.

I'm a little bit in on him.

I, I like the talent.

I, I think, yes, but I think he's the starting quarterback.

Kind of like a Ryan Tannehill.

He's not breaking the bank.

He's not an epic guy.

One interesting note, we need to keep in mind he was a second round draft pick, which means they don't have the fifth year on him.

So as he enters year two, the clock ticks a little differently because they'll have to make decisions on Will Levis more quickly than a lot of teams do on their franchise quarterback because of the second round pick five years.

Do you think he's, is he their starter?

Is he the man?

I, I do?

Yeah, I, I, I'm gonna give him the benefit of the doubt and think that they've put enough talent around him or he can be, like you said, a Ryan Tannehill type franchise quarterback where you're not necessarily, you know, Patrick Mahomes, but you're also not a for a few years or Tannehill was clearly their guy and I think Levis can kind of be that guy for the Titans going forward