The Tennessee Titans are entering a new era in 2024. First-year head coach Brian Callahan collaborated with general manager Ran Carthon this offseason to build a roster in their shared vision. The focus of the upcoming campaign surrounds the development of potential franchise quarterback Will Levis. A successful season simply means Levis establishes himself as “the guy” for the foreseeable future.
The Titans went into the 2023 draft searching for a future starting quarterback. Veteran Ryan Tannehill was entering the final year of his contract, one that wasn’t expected to be renewed. Knowing that a reset was coming, Carthon moved up in the second round following Levis' draft weekend slide, acquiring the No. 33 overall pick to nab the former Kentucky signal-caller.
Tannehill suffered an ankle injury in a Week 6 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens in London, England, one that dropped Tennessee's record to 2-4. Following a Week 7 bye, Levis made his first career start against the Atlanta Falcons. Levis made history, throwing for 238 yards and four touchdowns in a memorable victory.
The Titans never went back to Tannehill. The remaining portion of Levis' season was understandably up and down. The highlight was a historic come-from-behind 28-27 victory over the Miami Dolphins in which he threw for 327 yards, spearheading back-to-back scoring drives while trailing by 14 points with just 2:49 remaining in regulation. Levis finished his rookie season with 1,808 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions.
Levis concluded the season with a league-high 11.1-yard average depth of target and a big-time throw rate of 5.9%, which ranked fourth in the NFL among qualifying quarterbacks, according to Pro Football Focus. The depth of target indicates that Levis fell in love with the deep ball. He must showcase growth in 2024 by displaying an increased willingness to nickel and dime defenses when afforded those opportunities.
Will Levis may not be very good, but he is fun af
— Scott Barrett (@ScottBarrettDFB) March 13, 2024
Basically Jameis Winston on steroids and a little drunk
Data: @FantasyPtsData
Chart: @fball_insights pic.twitter.com/iCs4H7Uag4
Arguably no quarterback played the game on a higher difficulty level. Levis suffered from a league-leading 8.6% drop-rate from his pass-catchers. His receivers were among the worst in the NFL when it came to creating separation and a turnstile offensive line allowed him to be pressured on 44.5% of his dropbacks, the second-highest rate in the league, trailing just Justin Fields.
Will Levis took a hit on a quarter of his dropbacks last season 😳 https://t.co/pP90tRAkLt pic.twitter.com/aOPyjJyrtZ
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) July 8, 2024
The Titans’ new regime set out this offseason to remove as much of that negative context as possible. Head coach Mike Vrabel was replaced by Callahan, an impressive offensive-minded coach who’s previously worked with Matthew Stafford, Peyton Manning, and Joe Burrow. The hire was clearly made with Levis’ development in mind.
Callahan is installing a pass-happier offense. Derrick Henry was allowed to depart in free agency as the Titans will no longer be a run-heavy team. The duo of Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears will replace him.
The receiver depth chart has been significantly upgraded as a result, now including Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd alongside DeAndre Hopkins. The Titans are going from one of the worst depth charts at receiver in 2023 to possibly one of the better ones around the league in 2024. Levis will have no shortage of weapons.
The offensive line that failed to consistently protect Levis now has first-round pick J.C. Latham at left tackle, and expensive free-agent signing Lloyd Cushenberry at center. Both project as major upgrades, particularly in pass protection. The offensive line as a whole projects to have four new starters versus the Chicago Bears in Week 1 compared to Week 1 last season.
Defensively, the Titans have made acquisitions that indicate they expect to contend for a playoff spot in 2024. They acquired superstar cornerback L'Jarius Sneed from the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick. Chido Awuzie was signed in free agency to start opposite him, and more recently, three-time Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams was added to complete the revamped secondary.
The Titans' offseason movements have centered around better supporting Levis. Their roster is better than the general public realizes, though it still lacks depth in various areas. If Levis takes the expected steps forward, the Titans could be a wild-card team in the AFC.
Levis establishing himself as a franchise quarterback would represent a successful season regardless of their final record.
