Will Levis posts gnarly photo of mangled shoulder on night before surgery

“Last night with this lil guy,” Levis wrote alongside the photo, which showed a giant knot on his shoulder.

Levis started 12 games for the Titans in 2024 and finished with 2,091 yards passing, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. However, Tennessee used the No. 1 overall pick to select Miami quarterback Cam Ward in the draft this offseason.

The arrival of Ward coupled with Levis’ struggles last season seemed to be a sign that he might have lost his grip on the job. Now with the injury to Levis, the job is Ward’s this year with seemingly no one to challenge him.

“We support his decision to focus on his long-term health,” the Titans said in a statement on Levis’ surgery. “He approached the offseason with professionalism and showed clear growth as a leader. We remain confident in his full recovery.”

Levis, hoping that rest and rehab would allow the shoulder to recover, experienced discomfort during minicamp, according to ESPN, and then started seeking additional medical opinions before deciding to have surgery.

More on Will Levis’ shoulder injury

In the Titans’ Week 4 win over the Miami Dolphins, Levis injured his AC joint in his shoulder. Alas, after undergoing a medical examination, Levis opted to play in the Titans’ Week 6 showdown against the Indianapolis Colts.

He completed 16-of-his-27 pass attempts for 95 yards, a touchdown and an interception against the Colts. The Titans ultimately fell 20-17 in the game, and Levis missed the next three games due to his pre-existing injury.

In Levis’ absence, Mason Rudolph started for the Titans. When Levis returned in Week 10, he began to show improvement, particularly regarding his turnover issue.

In his first four games back from injury, he completed 71-of-his-115 (61.7%) of his pass attempts for 960 total yards and seven touchdowns while only throwing two interceptions. However, disaster struck again the following week when the Titans failed to score a touchdown for the first time in the season and lost 10-6 to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

With the lackluster ending to season, some fans believed the Titans would move on from Will Levis. Yet, in the spring, Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi defended the former Kentucky standout.

“Will is a quarterback in our room and he’s still developing,” Borgonzi said during Tennessee’s pre-draft press conference. “He’s a young quarterback. He’s had some good moments and like any other young quarterback, they’re continuing to develop.”

On3’s Grant Grubbs contributed to this report.