Titans president addresses Will Levis trade rumors amid Cam Ward speculation

Most NFL reporters and observers now believe it's essentially a guarantee that the Tennessee Titans will make Miami's Cam Ward, the consensus top quarterback in this year's class, the first pick of the upcoming draft on April 24. 

League insider Josina Anderson seemed to confirm this when she reported on March 18 that "the Titans would like to transition" away from signal-caller Will Levis, a 2023 second-round draft selection, this offseason. 

Somewhat interestingly, Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker poured cold water over the Levis claim while speaking with reporters at the NFL owners meetings on Sunday.

"That's a false report," Brinker directly said, as shared by Jim Wyatt of the Titans' website. "We have not contacted anybody, and nobody has contacted us, about Will Levis. I don't think anything has changed from the time somebody asked me about this a month ago."

Understandably, there wouldn't be much of a trade market regarding Levis's services after he was benched this past December. Pro Football Reference shows he ended the 2024 regular season ranked last in the league among 36 qualified passers with a 27.8 adjusted QBR and 31st with an 81.4 passer rating. He recorded 13 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions over 12 games. 

Additionally, there was no real indication as of the final morning of March that a team such as the Cleveland Browns (pick No. 2) or the New York Giants (No. 3) would match Tennessee's reported asking price to land the draft's first choice that would be spent on Ward. 

Browns general manager Andrew Berry said on Sunday it's "unlikely" Cleveland will make such a trade, while the Giants added both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston to their quarterback room that already featured Tommy DeVito earlier this month. 

"What's the plan with Will Levis? The plan with Will Levis is he has a chance to compete for a starting job next year," Brinker continued. "And that's like every player that's on our roster. It's no different for Will. I see him in our facility, he's working hard. Everybody knows he's a great kid, he's a hard worker and he's going to give it everything he has. And we're going to continue to work with Will Levis."

Even if the Titans ultimately decide to name Ward their Week 1 starter, showcasing Levis during August preseason games could bolster the 25-year-old's value, depending on how he performs. In short, Tennessee doesn't need to be in any hurry to discard Levis for pennies on the dollar before springtime workouts get underway.