NASHVILLE — Will Levis will start at quarterback for the Tennessee Titans when they visit the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, with the second-year pro returning to competition after missing the past three games due to a shoulder injury.
Brian Callahan, Tennessee’s first-year head coach, announced Levis’ status Friday.
“There’s no need to wait,” Callahan told reporters after practice. “He had a really good week of practice. He’s looked good, the best he’s looked in a couple of weeks, so I’m excited to see him go forward.”
The right-handed Levis sprained the AC joint in his throwing shoulder against the host Miami Dolphins on Sept. 30 while diving for a first down. Mason Rudolph took over behind center, and Tennessee won 31-12.
The Titans had an open date the following week, and then Levis played in a home loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Oct. 12. Levis admitted after that game his shoulder played a role in a late-game interception that factored into the three-point loss.
Rudolph went 1-2 starting the past three games for Tennessee (2-6), which is coming off last Sunday’s overtime win against the New England Patriots with the Chargers (5-3) up next.
Titans officials want to give Levis the whole season to determine whether their second-round pick from the 2023 draft is the team’s long-term answer at quarterback. Before the injury, Levis had struggled with turnovers, throwing seven interceptions and losing three fumbles. He has completed 83 of 125 passes in five starts for 699 yards and five touchdowns this season.
“I just want to make sure that I can go out there and make all the throws the way that I could before I got hurt, and it’s an everyday process of testing different things and coming off the field and monitoring my soreness or pain level throughout the day,” Levis said Thursday. “So it’s just been that, and I’ll know when I’m ready when I know I’m making those throws.”
Callahan said Levis has not only looked better in practice this week but is feeling better as well.
“I think he’s dealing with the minor soreness, but it’s the best he’s felt and it’s the best he’s thrown. He looks ready to go,” Callahan said.
However, Titans cornerback L’Jarius Sneed will miss his fourth straight game with a quadriceps injury. Callahan explained the injury initially diagnosed as a thigh bruise also involved a strain in the muscle, which was revealed by an MRI exam.
“It was initially a pretty substantial quad bruise,” Callahan said. “But on top of the quad bruise, there was a quad strain that went with it. So now you’re dealing with a bruise and a strain, and muscle strains can keep you out a while. That was something we found out after the fact when the bruise wasn’t getting better fast enough, so he went to get an MRI to see what was going in there, and it showed a pretty significant strain.”
Callahan said most of Tennessee’s players on the injury report are expected to be available Sunday, but right guard Dillon Radunz, who missed last Sunday’s game with turf toe, and running back Tyjae Spears, who has missed three games with an injured hamstring, will work out on game day to see if either can play.