Will Levis is back in the NFL and hoping to relaunch a career that crashed and burned with the Tennessee Titans by going to a more successful team that can offer him an environment in which he can learn, improve and thrive:
The New York Jets?
Hey, it’s an opportunity.
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Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis prepares to take the field before the game against the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., on Jan. 5, 2025. (Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Levis is signing with the Jets practice squad, per multiple reports. The Jets are expected to release Bailey Zappe in a corresponding move.
And, no, this doesn’t mean the Jets are planning to replace Geno Smith as their starter. But the club doesn’t exactly have a star sitting behind Smith in rookie Cade Klubnik and it doesn’t hurt to have an experienced young vet with some potential in the pipeline.
That’s what Levis is now. Experienced. And potentially good as long as he figures out how to stop being the player who was released by the Tennessee Titans after they gave up on him.
Levis entered the NFL as one of the 2023 draft’s most intriguing quarterback prospects, but also one of its biggest mysteries.
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Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis, right, throws a pass during an NFL football practice Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Tennessee selected the Kentucky standout in the second round (No. 33 overall) after he failed to meet his own expectations of being selected in the first round.
Levis made an immediate impression in his first start, throwing four touchdown passes in a victory over Atlanta. But his rookie season was interrupted by an ankle injury. And it never really got better after that.
Levis finished his rookie year with flashes of arm strength and playmaking ability, while leaving the Titans hopeful they had found their long-term quarterback.
But, nope.
That optimism in Tennessee disappeared during a 2024 season in which Levis struggled with turnovers, sacks and consistency. He threw 13 touchdown passes that season, which wasn’t enough to lift the Titans to any significant degree.
And he threw 12 interceptions, which was a cause of great frustration.
Quarterback Will Levis #8 of the Tennessee Titans working out with Quarterback coach Jordan Palmer during an offseason workout at a Park on July 16, 2026 in Orange County, California. (Photo by Aubrey Lao/Getty Images) (Aubrey Lao/Getty Images)
The team, which was not good to begin with, was 2–10 in the games Levis started.
And then things actually got worse.
Levis suffered a right shoulder injury against Miami that continued to bother him and ultimately required offseason surgery, costing him the entire 2025 season. After Tennessee selected Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick in 2025, Levis’ future with the franchise was sealed.
The Titans waived him in August.
So now what?
He’s 27 years old and needs coaching. The Jets have the coaching experience and prowess to help a quarterback needing work.
Offensive coordinator Frank Reich was Peyton Manning’s quarterback coach when Manning won an MVP award and then a Super Bowl the following year. He coached Philip Rivers in both San Diego and Indianapolis. And he coached Andrew Luck one year when Luck threw 39 TD passes.
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Geno Smith of the New York Jets throws during training camp at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park, N.J., on July 29, 2026. (Getty Images)
Jets quarterback coach Bill Musgrave forged a history with Matt Ryan when he was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons and was Derek Carr’s offensive coordinator when the QB went to consecutive Pro Bowls in 2015 and ’16.
None of this means Levis is the future quarterback in New York. The Jets are not exactly a patient nor stable organization.
But getting some good coaching is something that will benefit Levis as he tries to live up to his potential.
His NFL journey now enters a critical second chapter: Levis remains only 27 and possesses legitimate arm talent, but he must convince another team that his decision-making, health and poise can catch up with his physical gifts.
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