King Expects Titans' Will Levis 'to Start Sometime' in 2023 Amid Tannehill Rumors

While Ryan Tannehill is the Tennessee Titans' starting quarterback for now, they might not have Will Levis hold a clipboard for the entirety of his rookie season in the NFL.

NBC Sports' Peter King wrote Monday that he expects Levis "to start sometime this year in Nashville."

Unlike the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts, all of whom selected quarterbacks in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, the Titans aren't in an outright rebuild just yet. Given the current state of the AFC South, Tennessee could make an improbable playoff push behind Tannehill and star running back Derrick Henry.

Head coach Mike Vrabel also emphasized how Levis' arrival changes little in the quarterback room at the moment.

"Ryan will be the starting quarterback on Monday," he told reporters Friday. "Malik (Willis) will be the backup. Will will be the third quarterback. And what I've told them is whatever happens after that will be up to the players. That's what it's always been here. That's what we always want it to be."

However, the organization's priorities could shift dramatically if it trades Tannehill or Henry this offseason. A slow start to the 2023 regular season could have the same effect.

Should the Titans basically pack it in before Week 1 or see their postseason hopes fade quickly, they might as well elevate Levis and build toward the future.

King didn't rule out Levis remaining on the bench for the entirety of 2023 if Tennessee sticks with Tannehill or prefers to start Willis. In the latter scenario, though, fans might start asking questions if the Kentucky star isn't impressing the coaching staff more than a quarterback who's also a bit of a project and looked lost on the field in his first year.