Will Levis clearly didn’t envision being in this position a year ago, but after a season that fell well below his and the Titans‘ expectations, the veteran quarterback now finds himself in a position battle with No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward.
Levis, who by all accounts has taken a professional approach to his current situation, recently acknowledged that his current predicament is far from ideal.
“Anyone who’s every been in my situation would agree that it sucks,” Levis said, via Main Street Nashville. “I’m just trying to do the best I can to not let it affect me and just being the same dude every day in the building and being there for the guys however I can and just trying to get better every day.”
Levis hasn’t let his disappointment impact his relationship with Ward, who has had nothing but good things to say about his new teammate.
“He was one of the first ones to come up to me in the locker room, ready to compete and ready to get to work,” Ward said of his relationship with Levis. “It’s been exciting to work with somebody who has played in an actual NFL football game. So to be able to take a little advice from him, it’s been good.”
Levis is largely in his current situation because of his continued struggles taking care of the ball, an issue that led to him falling to the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Levis seemed to have the issue somewhat under wraps as a rookie, throwing just four interceptions in nine games. But he regressed last year, tossing 12 picks 12 games as the Titans floundered through a 3-14 season.
Instead of licking his wounds, Levis worked hard at his craft this offseason. He spent a considerable part of his offseason working on his mechanics with quarterback guru Jordan Palmer. Levis’ offseason work appears to have already paid dividends.
“I’ve seen a lot of improvement, I really have,” said Titans coach Brian Callahan. “I think him making the decision to go put in the work down there with Jordan was really beneficial. I got a lot respect for Jordan. I think he’s got a good program. He knows what he’s doing. It’s good off-season work,” Callahan said. “I see a real improvement in his footwork and his base. His ability to control the football has improved. I’ve been really pleased with the work that he’s put in. He’s reacted really well to the room.”
As far as his “suck” comments, there’s no doubt that Levis’ situation isn’t great. That being said, many quarterbacks have had worse situations, especially Steve Young, who was force to sit behind future Hall of Famer Joe Montana for four years before he finally got his chance to start for the 49ers during his age-30 season.
Like Levis, Young didn’t necessarily love playing behind Montana. In fact, Young loathed it and wasn’t afraid to publicly express his frustration. Young’s mentality changed, however, after he sat alongside author Stephen Covey, who wrote “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” After listening to Young vent about his situation, Covey told him that Young actually had an ideal situation in terms of maximizing his potential by taking advantage of the fact that he was playing alongside an legendary quarterback (Montana), a legendary coach (Bill Wash) and for the NFL’s best franchise.
Covey’s insight instantly changed Young’s mindset towards his situation, and he responded by enjoying a Hall of Fame career that included a Super Bowl single-game record six touchdown passes in San Francisco’s Super Bowl win over the Chargers.
Young found a way to overcome his obstacles. It’ll be interesting to see if Levis can author a similar story.
This news was originally published on this post .
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