Will Levis Named Titans' QB1 vs. Buccaneers over Ryan Tannehill, HC Mike Vrabel Says

The Tennessee Titans appear to be going all-in on Will Levis.

The rookie quarterback will start Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and veteran Ryan Tannehill is expected to be the backup, head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters Tuesday.

Tannehill was a "professional" about the decision, Vrabel added.

"There's clearly something there," Vrabel said of Levis.

Levis is also expected to be Tennessee's starter for the remainder of the 2023 season, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports.

Vrabel's decision to start Levis over Tannehill comes as little surprise.

Levis has started each of the last two games with Tannehill sidelined due to a high ankle sprain. He was quite impressive in those matchups, completing 42 of 68 passes for 500 yards and four touchdowns against one interception, in addition to rushing for 13 yards on eight carries.

Additionally, Levis has developed a strong bond with veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, which is something Tannehill didn't achieve through the first six weeks of the 2023 campaign.

Over the last two games, Hopkins has caught eight passes for 188 yards and three touchdowns on 17 targets. Through the first six games with Tannehill under center, he caught 27 passes for 376 yards and no touchdowns on 47 targets.

The Titans selected Levis in the second round of the 2023 draft out of Kentucky, one year after selecting Malik Willis in the third round of the 2022 draft out of Liberty. Levis played just one half during the preseason with a thigh injury, so Tennessee opted to have Willis back up Tannehill to begin the year before giving him a shot in Week 8.

Tannehill is in the final year of a four-year, $118 million deal he signed with the Titans in 2020, and it's seeming more likely that he will be playing elsewhere in 2024, especially given the emergence of Levis.

In five years with the Titans, Tannehill is 38-23. He led the team to the AFC Championship Game during the 2019 season, but Tennessee fell to the Baltimore Ravens in the wild card during the 2020 season and the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round of the 2021 campaign before missing the playoffs altogether in 2023.

If the Titans opt to move on from Tannehill, they appear to be left in good hands with Levis.