Just when you thought Tennessee Titans third-string quarterback Will Levis was a dead man walking, the cat gets another life. The former Kentucky Wildcat and former Penn State Nittany Lion finds his NFL career hanging in the balance of what happens after the month of August. 

For the most part, Levis was trending toward getting cut. But the door may have opened at Titans training camp on Monday when backup quarterback and free agent signing Mitch Trubisky left practice early with what head coach Robert Saleh is calling a biceps injury on his throwing arm.

Saleh addressed the situation in his post-practice press conference.

“Trubisky’s getting looked at for his bicep. I think we’re good, but again, I’m the eternal optimist, so I’ll let you guys know tomorrow,” Saleh said.

Not really sure what that means, but with Trubisky dealing with a bicep issue, even if he’s out for just the rest of this week, that’s allowing Levis to work up higher in the rotation. He did exactly that to end Monday’s practice, taking second-team reps on the 2-minute drill and working with what should be a better offensive line group, a better wide receiver group, and a better running back group.

What happens at Titans camp Wednesday and beyond?

The questions start stacking up from here. When the Titans are back on the practice field Wednesday, is Trubisky taking the day off where Levis gets a full chance to work with the second team? Is Trubisky going to be out the rest of this week to where the Seattle Seahawks come in for joint practices on Friday and Levis goes up against the Seahawks’ second-team defense? What about Sunday in the national, stand-alone preseason game hosting the Super Bowl champs?

If you’re the Titans, you need Trubisky healthy for everything. And what happens with the roster if there is any type of significance to this biceps injury? How does that change the situation when it comes to roster cuts at the end of the month, where a decision has to be made on Aug. 30 on whether to keep 2 quarterbacks or 3?

Levis was a near-certain cut before Monday’s practice development

I think up until Monday’s injury for Trubisky, there was zero doubt in my mind, and I think in most people’s minds, probably including general manager Mike Borgonzi’s mind, that this is a 2-quarterback roster with how Levis has underperformed, underwhelmed, and disappointed for the most part throughout training camp.

But once again, the cat gets another life. Levis has the next opportunity, whether it’s one day, two days, or a week. If there’s something more significant with Trubisky’s bicep, Levis becomes more valuable because this team needs a quality backup quarterback, and if Trubisky is on the shelf or limited in a way that bleeds into September, that’s something to watch.

Levis needs to make the most of extra reps

It could just be a day. But even a day, even 2 days of practice gives Levis extra optimism to do something with that opportunity. That could still mean improving his resume for another team, improving his standing within this organization on the field, or improving his opportunity for his NFL career to kick back upwards where it has been mostly downwards. There have been a few upward peaks, sure, but the zoomed-out stock trend has been heading down for really the last 24 months, dating back to training camp in 2024 when he was going into the season as the starter with the opportunity to earn the face of the franchise before he fumbled it away.

What Will Levis does with these extra reps could determine whether he’s on this roster come Aug. 30, or whether his time in Tennessee is finished for good.