Is Will Levis the subsequent Josh Allen? Titans' second-year quarterback pushed to hitch ranks of NFL's elite

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A number of the high issues to do within the Tuscany area of Italy are to take pleasure in a wine tasting in a Tuscan fort or perhaps go to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. And even hit the seashores with their crystal-clear waters nestled on the rocks for a day of leisure.

There in all probability is not a spot on most individuals’s itineraries the place they find time for football-throwing classes with dad, who’s a former Division III tight finish, or hopping the fence to get in some dash work on a locked-up soccer subject.

That was certainly a part of the itinerary for Will Levis on his go to to Italy in early July, a lot in order that the second-year Tennessee Titans quarterback truly scouted out the soccer fields and a fitness center for his exercises earlier than making the journey together with his prolonged household.

“We have been 45 minutes from Siena, which is sort of the large metropolis, so I went to a fitness center there and I assumed it was Gold’s fitness center, nevertheless it seems it was Gold Gymnasium,” Levis mentioned. “First fitness center I ever noticed that opened at 10 a.m. I needed to wait till 10 a.m to go there every single day. I used to be doing stuff in there that no person in there has in all probability ever seen, simply by way of the soccer stuff we do. It was humorous. There have been a pair soccer fields I scouted out beforehand. A kind of I needed to soar the fence to go on. I had the cops known as on me. I bought out of there earlier than something loopy occurred.”

There was no arrest, though Levis mentioned he had to make use of a translator app to assist get him out of the scenario since no person actually cared he was an NFL quarterback. He can chuckle about it now, however the entire scenario goes to point out so much about who he’s as a quarterback and why he shall be a particular one.

We all know the ability set is there by watching his throws as a rookie final yr, the ability arm and the fast launch. But it surely’s the drive and dedication of scheduling exercises in paradise that can make him right into a big-time NFL quarterback.

The nice ones all have it. Peyton Manning was legendary for his exercises on the street and Levis is not any totally different. It does not imply he shall be in that class, nevertheless it certain does not damage to work like him.

“That is essential to him,” Titans first-year coach Brian Callahan mentioned. “Being an excellent quarterback issues to him. He desires to be nice. He does all the things in his energy to try this. I respect that. It is not faux. It is actual. He is keen to do no matter it takes. When your have that mindset, you possibly can remedy loads of issues like that.”

Callahan is aware of so much about working with particular quarterbacks. In his profession, he is coached Manning, Matthew Stafford, Derek Carr and Joe Burrow the previous 4 years when he was the offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals. Callahan is taken into account a quarterback guru of types and definitely is aware of what it takes to be an excellent one.

He sees that in Levis. In reality, Levis was an enormous purpose why he was drawn to the Titans job.

“I used to be excited as hell to return down right here and work with him,” Callahan mentioned.

Why would not he be? Levis impressed as a rookie final season after taking on because the Titans starter eight video games into his rookie season, exhibiting off his massive arm and his capability to face in and make throws within the face of fixed stress. To say Levis was beat up shouldn’t be doing it justice relating to how could hits he took.

But he by no means backed down. Not as soon as. Even when he had video games that may not be spectacular on paper or on tape, the one factor that by no means wavered was his toughness and his capability to stare down the gun barrel. 

“Enjoying quarterback, toughness is likely one of the most essential elements,” Callahan mentioned. “You will get hit and teammates must know you possibly can bounce up after a success and make a throw the subsequent time when all the things is collapsing round you. The pocket it going to be muddied and it’s important to navigate it. That was essentially the most spectacular factor about him final yr. For a quarterback who hadn’t performed a lot to try this, take hits, get again up and play exhausting, was spectacular. He did so some dumb issues like reducing his shoulder into individuals, stuff like that. However he was making an attempt to earn the respect of this teammates so they’d experience with that man.”

Levis mentioned he felt these hits after the season. The pictures took their toll. 

“There are issues I can study from and never take as many hits,” Levis mentioned. “My physique was fairly beat up. I’ve to be higher in that space.”

He paused for a second and chuckled. 

“I’ve but to slip in a sport,” he mentioned. “I’ve to implement that.”

Regardless of enjoying behind a foul offensive line, with not a lot assist by way of pace on the skin, the second-round choose did sufficient to point out that he might be the Titans’ long-term reply. He led the Titans to a 3-6 document in his 9 begins with eight touchdowns and 4 interceptions. The numbers aren’t gaudy, however once you see his throws on tape, particularly within the comeback victory in opposition to the Miami Dolphins late within the season, it is simple to grasp why the Titans really feel they’ve an actual franchise quarterback.

When Levis got here into the draft final yr, I had him ranked as my high quarterback. I noticed a child who performed in a foul system as a senior at Kentucky with little round him, but regardless of an harm he continued to play most of that season and took a beating. 

His inventory crashed some and his fame additionally took a beating. He turned the quarterback all people liked to tear that yr. It jogged my memory of one other quarterback who appeared to have loads of the identical draft cult analysts ripping him to shreds through the draft course of a couple of years again. 

That quarterback is Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills. Like Allen, Levis did not have big-time completion numbers and accuracy was one thing many scouts mentioned would maintain him again. Like Allen, I assumed he would get previous it.

Levis fell to the second spherical. He noticed Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson all go earlier than him. Stroud had a particular rookie season for the Texans final yr, however Levis was nearly as good as the opposite two, particularly since Richardson was restricted to 4 video games due to harm.

I see the same trajectory for Levis as Allen. Sure, that is excessive reward, however I imagine that is the place he’s headed. 

Levis additionally needed to overcome doubts about him away from the sphere heading into the draft. Many NFL personnel individuals and draft analysts questioned his persona. Was he mature sufficient? That is as a result of he had some social media stuff that made him appear totally different, reminiscent of consuming a banana with the pores and skin on. That made individuals query him.

“Rightfully so with a few of that stuff,” Levis mentioned. “Lots of people might need been perturbed by how I dealt with myself on social media. They thought I used to be drawing an excessive amount of consideration to myself. It was simply one thing I loved doing, one thing I may make some more money from since I wasn’t making something from NIL. When individuals get to know me and see the true individual, that is what individuals on the web do not get to see.”

Callahan admits he heard a few of these pre-draft critiques of Levis, despite the fact that the Bengals had Burrow and Callahan did not do a deep dive on the 2023 quarterback class.

“All I knew about Will as an individual is what I heard and I heard all of the tales of him being sort of quirky and bizarre,” Callahan mentioned. “Everyone heard them. However Will has accomplished a very good job of being himself. He’s actually comfy with who he’s. He has grown up since then. There was some rising up that needed to occur. I do not see Will Levis, the school child. I see Will Levis, the professional quarterback. His demeanor and the best way he communicates and speaks is far totally different than loads of the stuff that was on the market.”

Tightly wound was one other knock on Levis by some scouts. They mentioned he was too exhausting on himself, which might make it powerful to get previous the unhealthy performs that each one quarterbacks have, even the good ones. Levis admits now he is labored on that a part of his sport, typically even catching himself when he’s too powerful on his play.

That occurred Tuesday. Levis walked off the sphere pondering he had a tricky time. After watching the tape following follow, he noticed it so much in another way.

“Trying on the tape, I had a reasonably good day,” he mentioned. “Coming off the sphere, I did not assume it was near that. I’ve to do a greater job of that. You must take the nice with the unhealthy and transfer one.”

You may inform watching follow that the misses hassle him. He missed a big-time throw down the sphere Wednesday, and after follow he mentioned he may have thrown a greater ball. Oh, effectively. The excellent news was he appeared to shortly transfer on from it and had an excellent follow. 

That is as a result of he is far more comfy in his pores and skin. It is his crew now — and he is aware of it. That is why he bought a gaggle collectively to go to Cabo this summer season to work out when the crew was away from the ability. It was half exercise, with loads of bonding.

“He is taken the subsequent steps to be the face of the franchise and the obligations that include that,” Callahan mentioned. “He is accomplished a pleasant job constructing on that. Going to Cabo was a part of that.”

“It took me a bit time to understand that,” Levis mentioned. “I nonetheless must earn loads of stuff. Being the beginning quarterback offers me loads of grace. Because the starter, I really feel much more assured and so much much less nervous than final coaching camp. I wasn’t sleeping at evening as a result of I used to be anxious about fumbling a snap or getting the play name mistaken. I do not even take into consideration these issues anymore. I’m much more assured.”

Levis did work on his footwork this offseason, each on the facility and together with his quarterback coach away from it. That has tightened up his capability to get the ball out — with drive. In case you thought his arm was massive final yr, you must see it now.  The discharge is fast, the ball on the receiver in a rush.

“We wished him to get his base wider so he may play a bit bit higher from the bottom to generate energy together with his legs,” Callahan mentioned. “He has pure arm energy, nevertheless it does not must be that arduous. It helps get the ball out faster and he might be extra environment friendly in his actions.”

“I can see the outcomes too,” Levis mentioned.

So may these watching follow so far in camp. Levis has been sharp, the ball out shortly and precisely. The crew did not need him throwing deep passes early in camp, largely to maintain the receivers from operating these deep routes as they get acclimated to being again on the sphere. However on one play Tuesday, the learn was for a deep throw and Levis ripped it. He missed the throw, however there appeared to be some route difficulty in opposition to that four-deep protection. Levis blamed himself, however did point out that he wasn’t speculated to throw deep in any respect. 

“That is the appropriate learn in opposition to that protection,” he mentioned. “So I let it go.”

That is the gunslinger in him. The massive arm will exhibit so much this season, nevertheless it’s clear he is far more comfy on this new Callahan offense. It is why you possibly can count on massive issues from him and the rebuilt receiver room that features Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to go together with DeAndre Hopkins.

The desk is about and Callahan is happy to see the place his second-year quarterback can go as a participant. He has his concepts, so once I requested him what the ceiling might be for Levis, he did not hesitate.

“I believe he might be one of many top-five quarterbacks in soccer,” Callahan mentioned. “He has all the things you might want to get to that time. Now he has to show it. The great factor is he is making an attempt to show to individuals who believed in him they have been proper reasonably than making an attempt to show individuals mistaken. It has been a enjoyable offseason teaching him. He is all the things you need. He is readily coachable and he has an excellent sense of the issues he can and might’t do.”

Levis echoed a few of the similar sentiments when requested about his perception in himself.

“I by no means doubted myself,” he mentioned. “I all the time felt I used to be the No. 1 man coming off that draft and I nonetheless really feel that manner. I do not need to show (the numerous doubters) mistaken. I simply need to show myself proper.”

Stroud has an enormous head begin in that race to be one of the best, however the best way I see it Levis is Josh Allen 2.0. Allen began his profession slowly after which took off and is now one of many top-two quarterbacks within the league. The draft cult was mistaken about him and they are going to be mistaken once more.

Will Levis shall be a star — supplied he does not get locked up making an attempt to work out in some international nation.