Titans’ No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward splitting QB reps with Will Levis: ‘We’re not competing right now’

The Tennessee Titans may have unretired the No. 1 jersey for No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, but that doesn’t mean they are going to automatically gift him the starting quarterback spot. Ward and Will Levis are splitting reps for the early portion of offseason activities. 

“Right now, it’s all evenly split,” coach Brian Callahan told the team’s official site. “We’re not competing right now. It will change probably a little bit when we get to the OTAs and we have 7-on-7 and some team work and stuff like that. But right now, we’re not really going against anybody, so we just roll through it.

“They’re roughly about even all the way through, which is pretty standard for this time of year.”

This was expected, as new general manager Mike Borgonzi said there would be “competition in every room.” It’s still interesting since Ward was drafted to replace Levis, who went 2-10 as the starter last season while throwing for 2,091 yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, but the Titans are going to make Ward “earn” the job.

“They’ve both handled it really well,” Callahan said. “I’ve been pleased with their demeanor and their approach. Will has done a really nice job of getting better at things he needed to get better at. I’ve felt pretty good about his offseason work and how he has come back.

“Cam has done a really nice job of integrating himself. A lot of that is knowing the play call, being able to spit it out in the huddle, having the tempo, getting familiar with the receivers, what the words mean, how to call it, and how your snap count sounds — all of that stuff has been really well done on his part.”

At 3-14, the Titans were the worst team in football last year– and a big reason why was the quarterback play. Levis had the highest percentage of plays with a sack, fumble or interception (16.3%) since JaMarcus Russell in 2009. Tennessee believes Ward is the kind of leader and playmaker that can get this franchise back on track. Last season, he became the first ACC quarterback to ever lead the FBS in passing touchdowns with 39, and set a Miami single-season record with 4,313 passing yards. Ward’s 158 career passing touchdowns in the FCS and FBS combined set a Division I record, and how he’s developed from a zero-star recruit that suited up for Incarnate Word to the most exciting quarterback in college football is a big reason why the Titans have high hopes for him.