Titans backup quarterback Will Levis tells reporters he’s still a top-32 NFL passer

Speaking at Tennessee’s training camp, Will Levis framed his outlook around earning a starting opportunity again, pushing back on the idea that he has fallen behind the league’s quarterback pecking order.

By The Apex Times Newsroom3 min readAI-assisted Apex article

Tennessee Titans backup quarterback Will Levis is trying to set the narrative for what comes next. At Titans training camp on Saturday, Aug. 1, Levis told reporters that even if he is not currently the starter, he believes he belongs in the group of quarterbacks who can run an NFL offense in 2026.

Levis’s stance was direct and framed around his own evaluation of the position. In the Yahoo Sports report, Levis said he is confident he is “a top-32 quarterback” in the NFL next season, adding, “Not 32 QBs better than me.” The comments reflect the mindset of a quarterback who is waiting for an opening and wants the organization and fanbase to see him as a realistic option rather than a placeholder.

The context for those remarks matters. Levis is with the Titans after a period in which the team’s quarterback picture shifted, and the report notes that he may have lost his starting job in Nashville. That kind of change is rarely just about one practice or one stretch of games. It can reshape how a quarterback is used, how quickly he is expected to learn an offensive identity, and how teams plan for depth at the position.

Even in a backup role, Levis’s statements aim to put responsibility on performance and opportunity rather than relying on reputation alone. In training camp settings, quarterbacks are evaluated on decision-making, command, accuracy under pressure, and the ability to protect the offense when timing windows tighten. When a quarterback publicly positions himself as a starter-caliber player, it can also influence how coaches think about reps, particularly in preseason-like looks where the first-team and second-team snaps create direct comparisons.

For the Titans, the quarterback situation has long been a team-building question. Teams that feel unsettled at the position often spend seasons balancing short-term stability with long-term answers. When a veteran or near-veteran report caller speaks in terms of being top-32, it is a reminder that the NFL’s quarterback depth is thin enough that an established backup can matter if the starter role changes again due to performance or health.

Levis’s confidence is also a message to the locker room. In most camps, quarterbacks are not only competing with one another on the field, they are also competing to be trusted in high-pressure moments. The way a quarterback talks about his own ceiling can affect how teammates perceive urgency around the backup role, especially when the season timeline is approaching.

What to watch next is how the Titans handle reps and how Levis’s training-camp performance supports or undercuts his confidence. Public comments do not decide starting jobs by themselves, but they do align with what coaches can hope to see in practice: controlled progression, clean ball handling, and the ability to translate scheme calls into consistent playmaking.

As August continues, the focus will likely sharpen on whether Levis can translate this mindset into results during camp work and any preseason opportunities the Titans provide. If he does, his self-assessment as a top-32 quarterback could start looking less like bravado and more like a legitimate case for starting consideration in 2026. If it does not, his comments will still stand as a marker of what he believes his value is within the league.

Why It Matters

Levis’s remarks highlight how teams evaluate depth quarterbacks, especially when the starting job is already settled by competition or recent performance.
A backup publicly labeling himself as starter-caliber can raise the stakes of how he handles camp reps and situational work.
If the Titans’ quarterback situation changes again late in the year, a quarterback who has built trust in camp is more likely to be viewed as a ready option.
The Titans’ broader quarterback-building approach is shaped by whether the organization believes it has a viable starter in-house beyond the current starter.

Sources

Key Facts

Will Levis made his comments at Tennessee Titans training camp on Aug. 1.
Levis said he believes he is a top-32 quarterback in the NFL in 2026.
Levis added the line, “Not 32 QBs better than me,” in the reported remarks.
The report frames Levis as a backup quarterback whose future outlook remains starting-caliber.
The reporting context notes Levis may have lost his starting job in Nashville.
The comments were delivered to reporters during camp.