Will Levis Injury Puts More Pressure on Titans' Cam Ward

The Tennesssee Titans "quarterback competition" ended before it could even begin.

On Monday, the Titans announced that Will Levis will undergo surgery on his throwing shoulder and miss the entire 2025 season. Levis, a 2023 second-round pick out of Kentucky, started 21 games for the Titans over the past two seasons. While he struggled — completing 61 percent of his passes for 3,899 yards, 21 touchdowns and 16 interceptions — it does still hurt to lose him for the entire year.

With Levis out, however, the pressure is officially on No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward.

The starting job has always been Ward's to lose, but with Levis in the picture, there was at least a hint of competition for the role, with head coach Brian Callahan even declining to name a starter. Even if it wasn't much of a real competition, the two quarterbacks were at least pushing each other to be better.

Now, though, the only other quarterbacks on the roster are Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle, who are both 30+ years old and have a combined record of 2-13 as starters. Even if the Titans sign a veteran before the season begins, they would almost certainly be an insurance option behind Ward.

With the only quarterback who could possibly push him from the starting role now lost for the season, Ward is going to be thrust into the fire right away, and even if the going gets rough, he'll have to power through it.

As such, the next six weeks or so before the season will be crucial as Ward continues to settle in. He already seems to have a solid grasp of the offense, and he will look to keep improving with the season on the horizon.

"I am always energized – I am playing football," Ward said in May, per the Titans' website. "I am doing what I love, and not a lot of people can do that in this world. So, I am always going to have energy when I'm on the field."