What Titans Will Levis' Season-Ending Injury Means for the Jaguars

When any player goes down at the beginning of Training Camp or the Preseason in the NFL, it's usually a conundrum that requires depth chart adjustments. But when it's a quarterback, an all-out panic ensues. For the Jacksonville Jaguars' chief rivals, the Tennessee Titans, it could be less complicated than one would reckon.

With the Titans announcing the loss of third-year QB Will Levis to a season-ending shoulder surgery on Monday, it's fascinating to think just exactly how the organization responds at the most important position on the roster.

Now, it is widely known that Head Coach Brian Callahan was originally expected to hand the passing duties over to Cam Ward at some juncture in 2025. When a team selects a QB in the first position in the NFL Draft, all circumstances differ. No matter where that passer falls on the final draft board.

In 2017, the Kansas City Chiefs red-shirted Patrick Mahomes for an entire season, and it worked out quite famously. But other teams went to the well right away, and the growing pains led to a much more painful ouch factor. The Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence, Bears Caleb Williams, or even Bryce Young of the Panthers come to mind as such glaring examples.

The future looks very bright for Cam Ward, who the Titans tabbed to help usher in a new era of Nashville Football. New General Manager Mike Borgonzi made no secret of their intention to draft the talented quarterback at the top to reverse the fortunes of a team that has gone 9-25 over the past two seasons, a winning percentage of .257.

While Levis's 5-16 record as the Titans starter over the past two seasons doesn't seem like much of a loss, the Titans no longer have a choice but to bring their future star along slowly. Even if Ward did start right away, there is no longer a valid insurance policy should something happen to Cam, or if it's deemed that he does need to sit and absorb.

Realizing that a QB isn't quite ready from the get-go is not a death knell for a young passer. Young started all 17 games in Carolina as a No. 1 overall, but it wasn't even as good as his record suggests. The next season, the Panthers temporarily pulled the plug, and the "b-word". was getting thrown around.

But calling the Alabama Crimson Tide Alum a bust is premature. After veteran Andy Dalton injured his thumb in a car accident, Young returned and finished the season with much better results. The time on the pines actually helped the young thrower.

With Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle as the backups in the Volunteer State, there's very little doubt that Ward will start. The titans may look outside of the organization and maybe make a call to Pittsburgh to try and pry away Mason Rudolph for a return.

Whenever Ward makes his debut and assumes control, there'll be a teal-and-black welcoming committee for the heralded rookie in the form of Jourdan Lewis, Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen awaiting hungrily.

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