Titans QB working to refine mechanics ahead of big season

For a piece published Friday, Turron Davenport of ESPN detailed how Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis has worked to improve his mechanics under new head coach Brian Callahan this offseason.

"Two areas of focus include more discipline in his footwork leading into the base of the top of the drop and being able to take a shorter first step before the ball comes out," Davenport said about Levis' ongoing development. "Tightening the footwork and combining that with Levis' already quick release will help him be more on time within the system Callahan is implementing."

The Titans made Levis the 33rd overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, and the plan last summer seemingly was for the 25-year-old to sit behind veteran Ryan Tannehill through the bulk of this past campaign. However, Levis ultimately made his regular-season debut in late October and experienced the ups and downs expected for a rookie quarterback.

According to Pro-Football-Reference, Levis ended the 2023 season ranked 31st in the NFL among qualified players with a 33.2 adjusted QBR and 30th with a 37.1 percent passing success rate. He went 3-6 as a starter and completed 58.4 percent of 255 pass attempts for 1,808 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions.

Callahan and others within the Titans hope that Rob Williams of QB Motion, Levis' personal position coach, can help the second-year pro grow as he's away from the team during its summer break.

"Will's done this before -- where I haven't had direct communication with the coaches," Williams said. "But we will get on a call, and he'll say, 'OK, we're working on this footwork, or they want me to have my base a little narrower or they want me to shorten this step.'"

There's currently no sign that career backup Mason Rudolph or 2022 third-round draft pick Malik Willis is close to replacing Levis atop the depth chart ahead of Tennessee's regular-season opener at the Chicago Bears on Sept. 8. As Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk noted, a Titans coaching staff that didn't draft Levis has plenty riding on his development as he looks to cement himself as a full-time NFL QB1.