Will Levis spent this season on IR, being shifted to the injured list after suffering a shoulder injury in July. Prior to that, the 2023 second-round pick loomed as a player chosen under a previous GM that brought a curious fit behind No. 1 overall draftee Cam Ward.
A report last month indicated Levis would likely be traded this offseason, but second-year GM Mike Borgonzi voiced an expectation Tuesday (via TitanInsider.com’s Terry McCormick) that the struggling quarterback would have a role on the 2026 Titans. One year remains on Levis’ rookie contract.
Ran Carthon selected Levis during the first of his two drafts. While current football ops president Chad Brinker was with the Titans when they made that pick, Borgonzi — who arrived in 2025 — is now controlling the 53-man roster. Levis’ injury last year gave Brandon Allen a smooth ride to the QB2 role; Levis’ first two seasons were anything but smooth.
After showing some promise as a rookie, the Kentucky product did not take a step forward in 2024. Brian Callahan expressed frustration with the erratic passer and benched him at points, giving then-backup Mason Rudolph chances. Levis finished last in QBR by a wide margin in 2024, throwing 13 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions and averaging 6.9 yards per attempt.
While Levis did improve on his completion percentage from his rookie year (upping it to 63.1), the Titans effectively moved on after landing the No. 1 pick in a draft that saw teams only pine for one quarterback. Ward was drafted 24 spots before any other QB last year, and he is now the Titans’ centerpiece player.
After trade rumors followed Levis leading up to the draft, he did split first-team reps with Ward during the Titans’ offseason program. The older passer would not have been a realistic challenger for the job in training camp, though it is worth wondering if he would have received more first-team work had the injury not occurred. Allen is not signed for 2026, keeping the backup job open. The Texans have used ex-starter Davis Mills as their backup for a highly drafted QB (C.J. Stroud); the Tennessee rival extended Mills last year. Levis could conceivably settle into a Mills role, though he will need to prove he can stay healthy and assimilate into the to-be-determined HC/OC’s system.
One of Levis’ former targets, Chig Okonkwo was drafted two GMs ago. Chosen in Jon Robinson‘s final draft, the Titans’ tight end starter is unsigned for 2026. Despite the team’s struggles during his rookie contract, Okonkwo said he wants to re-sign.
“I definitely want to be a part of the core and watch this place grow from where we’re at now into a winning organization,” Okonkwo said, via McCormick. “I definitely want to be a part of that. I believe in that. I believe in the vision. I believe in Cam and the things that are going on, so I definitely think it would be a great place to be for me.”
On a team that has seen a host of injury troubles in recent years, Okonkwo has been incredibly durable. The former fourth-round pick has never missed a game. He has made 42 starts in four seasons. This campaign brought a career-high 560 receiving yards, marking his second 500-yard slate.
Okonkwo stands to do fairly well as a free agent, but the upcoming tight end class is rather crowded. While older cogs like Travis Kelce (should he return), Dallas Goedert and David Njoku are unsigned, second-contract-seeking TEs Kyle Pitts and Cade Otton are poised to be available.
Additionally, Arden Key said he would like to stay in Nashville. The veteran edge rusher noted (via ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport) a belief mutual interest in a re-signing exists. Key played out a three-year, $21MM deal. Arriving as a Harold Landry sidekick, Key outlasted the former Titans staple in Tennessee. The nomadic outside linebacker was mentioned in trade rumors but ultimately retained, finishing the season with four sacks in 12 games. Key (30 in May) combined for 12.5 sacks during two prior seasons as a Landry wingman, however.