Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis has been officially placed on Injured Reserve following his decision to undergo shoulder surgery and will not be able to play a single snap in the 2025 NFL season even if his recovery is swift.

Levis’ operation is scheduled for next Tuesday (29^th July) and will rule him out of the Titans’ training camp where he was expected to compete not only with first overall draft pick Cam Ward, but also Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle for a spot on the roster. While the veterans were not expected to pose a major threat to Levis’ role, it was notable that he was already watching Ward get the majority of snaps with the first team in the offseason sessions to date.

Although he appeared happy with his performance through OTAs, the 2023 second-round selection told the team that surgery on his shoulder — injured last October against the Miami Dolphins — was his preferred option going forward. Titans’ training camp thus opened yesterday (23^rd July) with Allen and Boyle now likely competing over the backup QB position behind the team’s latest hope as franchise quarterback.

“After consulting with doctors and his representatives, Will Levis has decided to undergo shoulder surgery that will sideline him for the entire 2025 season,” a Titans’ statement confirmed. “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.”

With Levis having struggled in the two seasons since being drafted, going 5-16 with questionable onfield decisions blighting stats that show an 82.7 passer rating (339-of-556 for 3,899 yards, 21 touchdowns and 16 interceptions), Ward was always set to be the team’s starter, given both his draft position and the hope the team is putting in him.

“”There’s a lot of things that I thought he handled really, really well in the spring,” head coach Brian Callahan told the media. “[Now] it’s carrying over those things you’ve learned and applying them in a little bit more intense setting. Now we get a chance to actually go play a little football, play against some different schemes. His development is a daily process and there’s going to be things that we got to correct … [but] I’m looking forward to it.”