{"id":204876,"date":"2024-12-16T13:30:08","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T18:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=204876"},"modified":"2024-12-16T11:08:09","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T16:08:09","slug":"the-tennessee-titans-quarterback-conundrum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/12\/16\/the-tennessee-titans-quarterback-conundrum\/","title":{"rendered":"The Tennessee Titans Quarterback Conundrum"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Sunday afternoon marked the first time enigmatic quarterback Will Levis was benched for performance-related reasons and not because of <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/10\/19\/tennessee-titans-make-huge-change-ahead-of-game-against-buffalo\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">injury<\/a>. Head coach Brian Callahan <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/terrymc13\/status\/1868411589973692452\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">stated as much<\/a> during his post-game press conference. The young signal caller&#8217;s performance against two of the league&#8217;s worst defenses has caused <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/terrymc13\/status\/1868388527693816077\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">alarm bells to ring<\/a> in Nashville. Levis isn&#8217;t a problem solver yet in the formative stages of his career. He exacerbates them at this stage, adding to the Titans&#8217; litany of issues. Can the Tennessee Titans bring him back, or does it have to let him go to remove themselves from their quarterback conundrum?<\/p>\n<h2>The Tennessee Titans Quarterback Conundrum<\/h2>\n<p>The Titans and Bengals matched witless play for most of the afternoon with ten turnovers and innumerable penalties, resulting in some meme-worthy plays that surprisingly did not involve the Meme King himself.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">RUMBLIN&#39; BUMBLIN&#39; STUMBLIN&#39; <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ProBowlVote?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#ProBowlVote<\/a> + <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TvondreSweat?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@TvondreSweat<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcfa: Watch <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CINvsTEN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#CINvsTEN<\/a> on <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NFLonFOX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@NFLonFOX<\/a> stream on NFL+ <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/42T3r6gaud\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/42T3r6gaud<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Tennessee Titans (@Titans) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Titans\/status\/1868367629687177543?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 15, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Not to be outdone by the iconic Joe Burrow&#8217;s antics, Levis threw multiple interceptions, including a ghastly pick-six.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">WILL LEVIS THROWS A PICK-SIX \ud83d\ude2c <\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s his 3rd INT today \ud83d\udc40 <\/p>\n<p>(via <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@NFL<\/a>) <br \/> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/OETkkBqldb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/OETkkBqldb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BleacherReport\/status\/1868388549667741787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 15, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The fun did not end for both teams; however, as the Bengals&#8217; safety, Jordan Battle, broke the cardinal rule of defensive scoring, social media was up in arms once more.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Jordan Battle NOOOOOOOO <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lNKCtyx12v\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/lNKCtyx12v<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Field Yates (@FieldYates) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FieldYates\/status\/1868391816627720363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 15, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>After the pick-six thrown by Levis, Titans coach Brian Callahan had seen enough of <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/12\/13\/reeling-bengals-look-to-roar-against-terrible-titans-in-week-15\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">gutwrenching and mind-blowing memes<\/a>\u00a0and benched him for Mason Rudolph.<\/p>\n<h3>The Point of No Return<\/h3>\n<p>Unlike the revitalization of <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/12\/06\/bryce-young-carolina-panthers-quarterback-dynasty-outlook\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Bryce Young<\/a> in Carolina, the point of no return was breached under Coach Callahan&#8217;s auspices. Levis did show signs of progress after returning from his recurrent injury. However, his performance during the last two games against <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TitansStats\/status\/1868427981468905701\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">two bad defenses<\/a> doesn&#8217;t augur a bright future. Mason Rudolph displayed far more competence in his appearances. He logged 209 yards and two touchdowns in moving the offense down the field more efficiently.<\/p>\n<p>Callahan was <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/terrymc13\/status\/1868410327463010773\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">less ebullient<\/a> in defending his young passer in his post-game press conference than in prior media availabilities. On top of his<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SamMonsonNFL\/status\/1835375795508047991\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> in-game gestures<\/a> towards Levis in past games this season, this signifies a coach ready to move on to his hand-picked successor. Reportedly, Levis wasn&#8217;t informed by his head coach of the <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SamMonsonNFL\/status\/1835375795508047991\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">benching<\/a> but by the quarterbacks&#8217; coach.<\/p>\n<h3>What&#8217;s Next?<\/h3>\n<p>While it remains to be determined whether Callahan will permanently bench Levis, his time in Nashville appears to be over as the answer. There is no returning to the former Kentucky product if Callahan wants to remain employed in 2025. Effectively, with Levis&#8217;s inconsistent performances from last season and his medical history, his days as a starter are finished. There was hope this season and a definitive need to find answers to the Levis question. Despite the incremental progress, the question has been answered quite emphatically in the negative. The team invested <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/03\/26\/general-manager-we-still-have-cap-room\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">significant resources<\/a> surrounding Levis to help him develop, but this has not happened.<\/p>\n<p>Tennessee has three games remaining to close out the lackluster inevitability of the 2024 season. They face AFC South rivals in all three, going on the road to face the Colts and Jaguars before ending the doomed initiative against the division-champion Texans. Many challenging questions will have to be asked of GM Ran Carthon and HC Brian Callahan. It&#8217;s possible that one or both may not return for 2025.<\/p>\n<h3>What Are The Options?<\/h3>\n<h4>Free Agents<\/h4>\n<p>Veteran players such as <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/03\/12\/sam-darnold-signs-contract-with-minnesota-vikings\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Sam Darnold<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/10\/14\/making-the-case-for-russell-wilson-to-start-for-steelers\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Russell Wilson<\/a>, and Jameis Winston are scheduled to populate the free agent market in the offseason. Darnold is playing like a standout in Minnesota and will be highly sought after and expensive. Wilson has thrived as a starter in Pittsburgh after an acrimonious departure from Denver last season. Winston is well, Winston in every facet of his game with the Cleveland Browns. There&#8217;s also the looming specter of Kirk Cousins looming should the Falcons decide to move on. The options aren&#8217;t nearly as attractive as they were in years past.<\/p>\n<h4>The Draft<\/h4>\n<p>According to Tankathon, Tennessee is slated to select sixth overall, <span style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">which<\/span> puts them within striking range of a passer like Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, or Jalen Milroe (should he declare). However, Tennessee could also eschew the quarterback position in the first round entirely and pursue a middle- to bottom-tier quarterback like Quinn Ewers, Drew Allar, Kurtis Rourke, Dillon Gabriel, or Jaxson Dart. There are various ways to replace Levis, but they must replace Levis as soon as possible.<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo: [Andrew Nelles\/The Tennessean] &#8211; USA Today Sports<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tennessee has once again firmly placed itself into a quandary at the game&#8217;s most important position after benching their current starter. What are the options on the market in 2025 and how could they choose to course correct after a disastrous 2024? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4788,"featured_media":204927,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[54,11],"tags":[32605,32931,116,403,237,32477,58,9692],"class_list":["post-204876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorials","category-titans","tag-2025-nfl-draft","tag-cam-ward","tag-jameis-winston","tag-kirk-cousins","tag-russell-wilson","tag-shedeur-sanders","tag-tennessee-titans","tag-will-levis"],"modified_by":"Michael Zimmelman","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204876","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4788"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=204876"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204876\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":204930,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204876\/revisions\/204930"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/204927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=204876"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=204876"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=204876"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}