Is this the end for Will Levis? Titans QB reflects, anticipates roster cut day

There's no forgetting the past. Not really. Not when Will Levis is involved.

Take the second quarter of the Tennessee Titans' preseason-ending loss to the Chicago Bears. Levis and the Titans offense lined up around the 35-yard line driving toward the north end zone. The memory of his NFL debut, and the fall-away, cross-body touchdown throw to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine that seemed to coronate him as the Titans' present and future, didn't feel all that far away. But on this night, the magic wasn't there. Levis aimed for the sideline and was nearly picked off.

Or take later in that quarter. Levis and the Titans are even closer to the north end zone. The memory of his home debut in 2024, and the what-the-(expletive)-are-you-doing ill-fated fumble shrugged toward Tyjae Spears, didn't feel all that far away either. But on this night, the regret wasn't there. Levis lobbed a fade route at the pylon and it fell incomplete.

Think about the two-minute drill he led for his final drive of the preseason, a 10-play, 71-yard drive in less than 90 seconds. It's hard not to draw parallels to the miraculous comeback he led as a rookie in Miami. Except this time, of course, there was no mystical force backing the Titans. The drive ended with a field goal.

And, of course, think about the team Levis was playing. The 2024 season opener against Chicago might be the defining fulcrum point of his career, the moment where he gave away a winnable game with a mistake that showed just how much pressure he put on himself to win games as a solo act, and a mistake he never quite recovered from.

There was no such mistake in the Titans' 24-15 loss to Chicago on Aug. 29.

And no high highs either.

The boom-or-bust Levis who infuriated Titans fans and delighted the NFL meme-creating community wasn't anywhere to be seen in his reunion summer with the Titans after missing the 2025 season recovering from shoulder surgery. He threw for 200 yards on 39 attempts across three games with no touchdowns and no interceptions. And now he awaits his fate as NFL cut day looms on Aug. 30 and the Titans have moved onto a future without him as the entrenched starter or the entrenched backup in the quarterback room.

"Very, very grateful," Levis said postgame when asked to reflect on his four years with the Titans. "(Controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk) brought me in here and welcomed me with open arms, as well as everyone else here in Nashville and with the team. I was able to grow a lot just through the couple of seasons we had where I was playing here. Wouldn’t trade it for anything."

Levis didn't speculate on his future. He says he has no predictions for if he'll be cut or traded now that the preseason is over, and he said he doesn't know how he'll spend roster cut day. He didn't back off his stance that he's good enough to start in this league, a declaration he previously made after the first week of training camp. But he added the caveat that he thinks everyone playing in the NFL needs to believe they're good enough to be a starter as a condition of surviving life in the league.

The only plan he has for his future is to enjoy a night. His future is uncertain. So are the futures of roundabout 50 of his teammates. The unknown is the only known, and Levis says the only way to confront it is to go out and spend time with the teammates you may be saying goodbye too. Through the camaraderie, maybe, they won't have their thoughts on the future.

But reality's reality. Cam Ward's the Titans' starter. Mitchell Trubisky's his backup.

Even if the Titans keep Levis on as a third quarterback, he's a pending free agent. The clock's ticking whether he's cut or not, and the chances of him taking another meaningful snap in a Titans uniform feel minuscule either way.

Because the truth is even Levis can't escape the memories of his own past. Not that he's necessarily trying to run from them, but it's clear that the roller coaster that was his season-and-a-half leading the Titans is inseparable from whatever the next chapter may be.

"That’s one thing that I feel like I’ve gained a lot in my time away is gaining back some of the confidence that I lost, I feel like, throughout the last year that I played," Levis said. "I’m going to maintain that throughout the rest of my career."

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at  nsuss@gannett.com. 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: Is this the end for Will Levis? Titans QB reflects, anticipates roster cut day