Titans' Brian Callahan wants to get the best out of Will Levis

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Will Levis has a chance to establish himself as the current and future quarterback of the Tennessee Titans as he enters his sophomore season.

The Titans have hired former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as their next coach, hoping history will repeat itself with his track record with quarterbacks. Callahan has worked with the likes of Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, Matthew Stafford, Derek Carr and most recently Joe Burrow.

Stafford, Manning and Burrow each led their teams to the Super Bowl, with Manning and Stafford taking home the Lombardi Trophies.

“It's cool to see these guys and know that they've been in a similar system,” Levis said. “Those are big shoes to fill and I want to be next and get to that level.”

Levis said Callahan had him watch cut-ups of quarterbacks he had worked with in the past to show him the technique he wanted to execute.

One of the first things they did was to tweak Levis' footwork and stance. The desired result was that Levis improved his technique to get the ball out better and cleaner.

Levis' next mission was to fully understand Callahan's scheme. At this point, they've pretty much installed the offense, now Levis just needs to master the core concepts.

The schedule will change week to week once the regular season begins, but in the meantime, everyone involved has worked to ensure an open dialogue about what concepts Levis prefers and what areas he wants to work on.

“My relationship with [Will]his relationship with me and [offensive coordinator] Nick [Holz] And [quarterbacks coach] Bo [Hardegree] is really going to be a critical factor in our success,” Callahan said. “And I wanted to make sure that he felt like he had input and ownership in that process. And we can build it from there and hope that he gives me the same kind of feedback that I need from him — especially when you're talking about pieces and what you like and how you like it.”

Last year was a rough year for Levis as a rookie. He had a great debut, throwing four touchdown passes in the Titans' 28-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons last October, but he threw just two touchdowns in the next three games, all of which ended in losses. Levis finished his season as a starter 3-6, and the Titans were forced to take a closer look at Levis in year two.

Still, Callahan said he took the Titans job in part because he valued Levis' potential so highly. It was clear there was a lack of security up front to protect Levis, and the pass-catching options also needed to be improved.

As a result, the Titans signed Lloyd Cushenberry, the best free agent center on the market, and used the 7th overall pick to sign left tackle JC Latham to bolster the offensive line. Tennessee also doubled down on the wide receiver position by signing top free agent receiver Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd, who spent the last six seasons with Callahan in Cincinnati.

The ball is now in Levis' hands, and Callahan plans to help Levis act as a point guard and provide easy shots to the basket for his teammates.

“That's the mentality,” Hardigree said. “It's the intent of the play. Some plays where you're reading the ball, it's more about finishing, getting back on track. We go through situations very carefully, like where we are on the field, how far we are and how far we are.”

Levis added: “It allows us to just play loose and free and get the free man when he's there, no matter who he may be.”

Levis has clearly focused on syncing up with Ridley, especially in the downfield passing game.

It's still an ongoing process with Callahan helping them, to the point where he turns back time by showing clips of Manning and Demaryius Thomas making big plays together for the Denver Broncos when he was an offensive assistant.

“Coach Callahan gets involved,” Levis said of his connection with Ridley. “He makes sure we know the timing and intent of the play and how we see it in line with my footwork and his trajectory.”

“He's done a good job of keeping us on time and making sure we know and expect – or I expect – where he's going to be and that he knows where the ball is going to be.”

Callahan said he wasn't “overly concerned” about breakdowns, mentioning how Ja'Marr Chase and Burrow struggled to hit the long pass when the two first came together in Cincinnati ahead of the 2021 season.

In the end, it worked out. Callahan, like Chase and Burrow, believes that his current tandem will hold up well over time.

Mistakes will happen. For example, during a two-minute team period with the Seahawks last week, Levis was late throwing to Mason Kinsey on a breakaway route. Defensive back Devon Witherspoon jumped in front of the pass and intercepted it.

The pass should have been thrown a little earlier, just before the receiver came out of his break. When mistakes like this happen, Callahan is careful to be honest with his young quarterback.

“We don't really hold back,” Callahan said. “We point out what's wrong, what needs to be better, how it can be better. It's always about being critical and honest, taking the criticism for what it is and then offering a solution on how it can be better.”

Levis welcomes the criticism as the team prepares for its final preseason game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday (2 p.m. ET, NFL Network) with the season quickly approaching.

“I take coaching well,” Levis said. “I'm able to transfer coaching points to the field. I think I've been put in environments that have helped me do that.”