Will Levis wants to be 'in the loop' with Tennessee Titans decision-making this offseason
Will Levis wants to be someone who knows things.
Levis reflected on his rookie season with the Tennessee Titans Monday, one day after it came to a close. Looking back on his goals for the year, he says he wanted to be able to prove he can be the face of the Titans' franchise. Though no one has told Levis that's the case, he says he thinks he did a good job of "putting those thoughts in their head."
Now, heading into his first NFL offseason, Levis wants to be wanted.
"I’m not wanting to make any decisions and I’m not expecting to make any decisions. I just want to be in the loop," he said. "I just want to know what the thought process is. If they want my opinion, I’m more than open to share it. But I’m not expecting to make any draft picks or free agency decisions. I’m excited to at least be in the loop on that and see what we can do to get some guys in here to help us win."
Levis doesn't have the answers yet. Or if he does, he's not giving them away. When asked what input he'd share if general manager Ran Carthon or coach Mike Vrabel sought his opinion, Levis said he's "not in a position to answer that question."
When asked if he'd advocate for the Titans to re-sign running back Derrick Henry, Levis said that's not his area of expertise.
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What Will Levis wants to do with his offseason
Levis threw for 1,808 yards and eight touchdowns with four interceptions in nine starts as a rookie. The Titans were 3-6 in those games, with three losses and two wins by five points or fewer. He says the area he grew most was executing in crucial situations with two minutes left in a half or with the Titans trailing late.
If his four-touchdown debut against the Atlanta Falcons was his introduction to the league and his 15-point comeback in the final five minutes against the Miami Dolphins was proof of his potential, he wants this offseason to be where he takes those talents and applies them to the way the rest of the team views him.
"With my leadership role and how I approached it, it was tough with Ryan (Tannehill) here and with not being the starter to start the year," Levis said. "I feel like my leadership role developed a lot and transformed throughout the season. I think I need to figure out what that looks like for me this offseason.
"It includes obviously getting with the receivers, getting with the skill guys. Whether bringing them to me or finding out wherever they’re going to be at and meeting up with them. Talking to the coaches and developing a good plan just to make sure that we’re in the best shape and knowledgeable about what it’s going to be expected for us coming into OTAs."
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For as great as Levis was at times, it's fair to say his debut season was average. His passer rating was roughly equivalent to those of Desmond Ridder, Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell. His completion percentage ranked worst in the NFL among 32 qualified starters. He failed to throw a touchdown in five of his nine starts and eclipsed 200 yards only four times.
Pro Football Focus had Levis ranked sixth in the NFL in "big-time throw" percentage, meaning he excelled at making some of the toughest and highest-leverage throws, but also had him third-worst in turnover-worthy throw percentage, meaning his mistakes came frequently, too.
There aren't many certainties about the Titans' offense in 2024. Henry's free agency means the Titans may have to reconfigure their entire identity. The offensive line must be fixed after leading the NFL in pressure rate allowed. Receiver help is a must, whether by developing young players like former first-round pick Treylon Burks or addressing the need in free agency or the draft.
Levis is one of the few guarantees this offense has. And he's confident things will get only better in Year 2.
"Shoot for the stars," he said. "We just need to be more consistent. We got a good taste even in this last game of how we’re able to move the line of scrimmage and get the run game going to open up everything else. That was exciting to see that. But I feel like we can be as good as we want to be, which we'll see."
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Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Will Levis hopes to be 'in the loop' on Tennessee Titans offseason decisions
