Latest news with #WillLevis
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
NFL quarterback Will Levis shares hideous photo of shoulder injury that has ruled him out of 2025 season
NFL quarterback Will Levis has shared a picture of the gruesome shoulder injury that has ruled him out of the 2025 season, as he prepares to undergo surgery. The Titans revealed earlier this month that Levis will be out for the entirety of the upcoming campaign after suffering the injury, in a major blow to the franchise. The 26-year-old is set to undergo surgery on Tuesday and, ahead of the operation, offered fans a glimpse of the current state of his injured shoulder. Taking to his Instagram story, Levis shared a photo of his swollen shoulder with the caption: 'Last night with this lil guy'. Levis also included a 'raised hands' emoji which appeared to represent his excitement at finally getting the injury resolved - even if it means missing the upcoming season. Earlier in the month, the Titans released a statement revealing the news that Levis would be ruled out for the entire 2025 campaign. 'After consulting with doctors and his representatives, Will Levis has decided to undergo shoulder surgery that will sideline him for the entire 2025 season,' the statement read. 'We support his decision to focus on his long-term health. He approached the offseason with professionalism and showed clear growth as a leader. We remain confident in his full recovery.' Levis was set to fight for his role as starting QB against first-overall pick Cam Ward - but will now sit the rest of the season. Veteran backup Brandon Allen is set to take the QB2 spot while another career benchwarmer, Tim Boyle, is projected to slide up to QB3. After initially beginning the 2023 season on the bench, Levis replaced Ryan Tannehill for eight games in the middle of the campaign. Last year, Levis became the full-time starter for Tennessee, but did not put up the most impressive numbers. He finished with 2,091 yards - good for only 27th in the league. Levis even finished behind Jameis Winston, who only became the starter for the Cleveland Browns after Deshaun Watson went down with a season-ending injury. Additionally, Levis finished the season with a QBR of 27.8 - good for 32nd in the NFL. He also put up a rough TD-INT ratio of 13 to 12. Levis missed five games in the 2025 season. First, he missed three games after injuring his AC joint in Week 3. Then, his poor performances led to him being benched for two weeks toward the end of the season. Now, Ward is set to get the start after a stellar season with the Miami Hurricanes in 2024. He is the first quarterback that the Titans have taken in the first round since they selected Marcus Mariota second overall in 2015. Ward is also the first first-overall pick that the franchise has had since the then-Houston Oilers took running back Earl Campbell in 1978.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Titan Taylor Lewan hints at 'side story' behind why Kentucky star Will Levis delayed surgery
Cam Ward was selected as the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, but from the beginning, he has been one of the least talked-about No. 1 picks in recent memory. Ward carried plenty of hype coming out of college, but that buzz has largely faded. "He's the least talked about, under-the-radar No. 1 pick I think in the history of football... Let's go back to last year's draft. He would've been in the mix... I think he would've been my 3rd QB,' NFL analyst Chris Simms said. Following a season-ending injury to quarterback Will Levis, the starting job now appears to be Ward's as training camp gets underway. 'With Will Levis out for the year, No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward is now poised to become the Titans' starting quarterback, despite the fact that the team has not named him its starter,' ESPN's Adam Schefter wrote. However, with the injury news coming so late, former Titan Taylor Lewan believes there may be more to the story regarding Levis' delayed announcement. 'I'm sure there's a side to the story that explains why Will waited until late July to get this surgery. Unfortunately, I'm too dumb to figure out what that is,' Lewan posted. Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp Lewan implies there could be a deeper reason why Levis waited until training camp to speak up. Clay Travis shared similar skepticism about the timing of Levis' surgery. 'I'd be curious to know when Will Levis knew he needed surgery. Because waiting until the start of training camp to have the surgery instead of during the past 7 months of offseason feels spiteful,' Travis wrote. The real reason remains unclear — maybe Levis could no longer manage the pain. Or perhaps, as training camp approached, he realized he wasn't going to be the guy and struggled to accept it. Regardless of the motive, one thing is certain: the Titans are now in the market for a backup quarterback.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Titans' Cam Ward reacts to Will Levis surgery decision: 'I really can't be mad' at him
Call it focused. Call it blunt. Call it adjusting to the reality of professional sports. Call it whatever you want. Just know that Cam Ward is coming across unbothered. Ward and the Tennessee Titans convened for their first training camp practice of the preseason on July 23. Unlike the OTA and minicamp practices in May and June, the quarterback room didn't include returning starter Will Levis, who recently informed the team of his intention to have season-ending shoulder surgery. Ward, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and Levis' replacement as the Titans' top quarterback, was asked about Levis' decision after his first training camp practice. "I really didn't have a reaction. I focus on Cam Ward," Ward told reporters. "He made what's best for him. I really can't be mad at somebody for doing what's best for him. I wish him a speedy recovery." ESTES: This Tennessee Titans season is about to be real bad, isn't it? Titans coaches and executives maintained throughout the offseason that Ward and Levis would compete for the starting job, as would veterans Tim Boyle and Brandon Allen. But Ward has more than asserted himself as the Titans' No. 1 option, especially after an opening practice when Ward took a significant percentage of the most significant reps. Levis will be sidelined for the entirety of the 2025 season as he repairs the AC joint in his throwing shoulder, an injury he sustained early in the 2024 season but elected to treat with rest and rehab. Titans coach Brian Callahan said before practice that he expects Levis to have his surgery in California and stay out there "for a little while" as he rehabs after the procedure. "We'll address that when it comes," Callahan added when asked if there's a plan for when Levis will return to the Titans' facility. "He's going out there to get the surgery. He'll be out there for a little bit rehabbing and post-op. We'll kind of take it from there. There's no concrete plan at this point." Even if Ward isn't in the business of reacting to Levis' decision, he is supporting Levis' eventual return to Nashville. "I'm hoping to see him in the building a lot more," Ward said. "He helped me in OTAs learning the install and everything. He's a good football player. When he's ready and healthy, he'll have his chance at the field." Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@ Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin' Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Cam Ward: Titans QB reacts to Will Levis injury, surgery decision
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Titans QB depth chart after Will Levis surgery: Cam Ward, then unheralded veterans
The Tennessee Titans quarterback depth chart had to be adjusted just ahead of the start of training camp with the news of Will Levis' impending shoulder surgery. The Titans made things official on Wednesday, placing Levis on season-ending injured reserve. One thing did not change inside the QB room: Rookie Cam Ward is the presumed starter for the Week 1 game at the Denver Broncos in less than seven weeks. In the long term, Ward's progress in his rookie season (and his rookie training camp) is the most important part of the 2025 season. In the short term, the depth behind Ward took a hit with the Levis injury news. CAM WARD'S FIRST PRACTICE OF CAMP: Cam Ward training camp stats: Every practice throw for Tennessee Titans QB on Day 1 GENTRY ESTES: Forget stardom. Can Treylon Burks just be a productive Tennessee Titans receiver? Tennessee Titans QB depth chart after Will Levis season-ending surgery Starter: Cam Ward Ward is the Titans' present and future at the position, bar none. The No. 1 overall pick will get the first-team reps all throughout training camp and preseason, as he did in Wednesday's opening camp practice. Backup: Brandon Allen Neither veteran backup option on the roster has extensive starting experience in the NFL, though Allen does have some. Allen, 32, has 10 NFL starts in nine seasons after being selected in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Allen was a backup at Jacksonville and the LA Rams before getting his first NFL game action with Denver in 2019. The former Arkansas QB made three starts with the Broncos in 2019, then moved on to Cincinnati under Zac Taylor and then-offensive coordinator Brian Callahan. Allen was elevated from the practice squad when Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2020 and started five games. completing 63% of his passes with five touchdowns and four interceptions. Allen spent two more seasons as a backup in Cincinnati, then played two seasons as Brock Purdy's backup in San Francisco. Last season, Allen made a start for the 49ers at Green Bay with so-so results, throwing for 199 yards and a touchdown and an interception with a lost fumble in a losing effort. Backup: Tim Boyle Boyle, 30, has been underwhelming when given a chance in the NFL. He last started in 2023 with the New York Jets, throwing four interceptions in two games en route to two late-season losses. Still, Boyle has played for six NFL teams over seven seasons. Boyle spent three years as a backup at UConn before getting his chance as a starter at Eastern Kentucky, tossing 11 touchdowns with 13 interceptions in the 2017 season. He went undrafted in 2018, then made the Packers roster as a UDFA. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Titans QB depth chart after Will Levis surgery: Cam Ward and the unheralded veterans
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Top NFL draft pick Cam Ward gives savage response to teammate's season-ending injury
If there was any doubt that the Tennessee Titans are now Cam Ward's team, the rookie quarterback made sure that he's only focused on himself. Ward's selection by the Titans was hardly a surprise, considering they struggled massively in 2024 under the poor play of Will Levis. When they drafted Ward, the Miami star got permission from Hall-of-Famer Warren Moon to don his No. 1 jersey that the team had 'retired'. But now, Ward will take the starting job uncontested (as opposed to 'virtually' uncontested) after Levis was confirmed to miss the rest of the season earlier this week. The Titans announced on Monday that Levis had underwent shoulder surgery and wouldn't be active for the 2025 season. When asked about how he took the news of his teammate's injury, Ward gave a somewhat ruthless response. 'I didn't really have a reaction. I focus on Cam Ward,' the rookie told reporters. Veteran backup Brandon Allen is set to take the QB2 spot while another career benchwarmer, Tim Boyle, is projected to slide up to QB3. After initially beginning the 2023 season on the bench, Levis replaced Ryan Tannehill for eight games in the middle of the campaign. Last year, Levis became the full-time starter for Tennessee, but did not put up the most impressive numbers. He finished with 2,091 yards - good for only 27th in the league. Levis even finished behind Jameis Winston, who only became the starter for the Cleveland Browns after Deshaun Watson went down with a season-ending injury. Additionally, Levis finished the season with a QBR of 27.8 - good for 32nd in the NFL. He also put up a rough TD-INT ratio of 13 to 12. Levis missed five games in the 2025 season. First, he missed three games after injuring his AC joint in Week 3. Then, his poor performances led to him being benched for two weeks toward the end of the season. Now, Ward is set to get the start after a stellar season with the Miami Hurricanes in 2024. He is the first quarterback that the Titans have taken in the first round since they selected Marcus Mariota second overall in 2015. Ward is also the first first-overall pick that the franchise has had since the then-Houston Oilers took running back Earl Campbell in 1978.
