How Will Levis' mistakes convinced Brian Callahan to believe in him as the Titans' QB of the future
Ever since Brian Callahan was hired to be the head coach of the Tennessee Titans it's felt like the organization has been more transparent than ever. Titans general manager Ran Carthon along with Callahan have been quote machines this offseason. The duo seems to jump at each opportunity to peel back the curtain and give […]
Ever since Brian Callahan was hired to be the head coach of the Tennessee Titans it's felt like the organization has been more transparent than ever.
Titans general manager Ran Carthon along with Callahan have been quote machines this offseason. The duo seems to jump at each opportunity to peel back the curtain and give behind the scenes looks into this new era of Titans football.
Callahan recently sat down for a film session with quarterback Will Levis and Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer. In this article, which I would encourage all Titans fans to check out, Callahan first recalls the 2024 draft process in which he made one thing abundantly clear: Will Levis is a quarterback with all of the necessary qualities to become the face of the franchise.
“I’d told Ran the truth,” Callahan says. “I said he has real talent, real ability and I think he’s got a chance to be a very good starting quarterback in the NFL. He’s got enough tools to where his ceiling is high. If he’s all the things mentally you need to be to play quarterback, his physical talent, it’s a high ceiling. He’s got a chance to be (a) really, really good, top-end starting quarterback. And I believe that."
But Callahan took it a step further. Not only does he believe Levis is the right guy for the Titans, but he maintains that Levis would have been the best quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft class featuring guys like Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and others.
“[The scouts] still do their due diligence and put grades on guys and all that," Callahan notes. "I had the conversation with Ran. Part of it was like, If Will’s coming out in this draft class, I don’t know that I feel like anybody is better than him at this point.”
Talk about a bold statement.
But it's one thing to have a young quarterback and another to use him properly. Callahan shares his unique ideology on why it's important to let young quarterbacks see the field early and make mistakes.
"I think you do a disservice to guys, particularly if you’re drafting them, and you make them compete for a job. Guys need to play,” Callahan opines. “They need to be put in a position where they are the quarterback. There’s something about that that matters to a team and a locker room. If you’re going to do it, do it. It all sounds good—He should sit. That’s not the reality. That’s not the financial reality of the NFL, either. You’re trying to take advantage of a young quarterback on a rookie contract, that’s the other part of it."
“There’s something about being the quarterback and knowing … when you walk into the building and walk onto the field, you know that you’re the quarterback and you know that everyone around you knows that you’re the quarterback. It allows you some freedom. Especially when you’re a young player, there’s no growth unless you make mistakes."
One thing Titans fans already know about Levis is that he is not a gun-shy quarterback afraid to make a mistake. In fact, one of Levis' biggest knocks is the fact that he is overly fearless with the football. Callahan appreciates that trait in his signal caller.
“The problem is, if you’re competing for a job, you’re not going to be willing to make the mistakes you need to make in order to improve at a rapid rate. You’re more worried about the perception of the mistake than actually learning from the mistake. I think that does guys a disservice, and I think it stunts growth when you have to be constantly worried about it. If I know I can make this throw, but it’s going to be kind of hairy, and I probably shouldn’t, but I’m going to do it anyway. Maybe it takes a hell of a throw, but I can coach off that.”
It's blatantly obvious that Callahan feels certain he can help lead the Titans back to postseason relevancy with Levis under center. For every perceived weakness Levis has Callahan seems to have an answer for.
Though Titans fans will wait to judge this marriage by on-field results, it's difficult to not feel confident in the duo's ability to problem solve and create chaos for opposing defenses. With all of that being said, one thing is for sure: Callahan has big plans for Levis in 2024 and beyond.
