Titans rookie QB Will Levis preparing for NFL debut vs. Falcons

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There is an old high school football adage that goes something like this: Watch out for the team that looks best coming off the bus.

Enter rookie Will Levis, who is expected to serve as the Titans' primary quarterback in today's game against the Falcons.

"From a physical standpoint, he's going to be one of the coolest looking dudes," said a laughing Jordan Palmer, who serves as Levis' personal QB coach as he does for several QBs around the NFL. "How relevant that is is yet to be determined. But he's a big physical athlete."

Levis is the last of the top-four selected rookie QBs to play this season. Carolina's Bryce Young faces off against Houston's C.J. Stroud today in a matchup of 2023's No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks, respectively, while Indianapolis' Anthony Richardson (No. 4 overall) is on injured reserve after season-ending shoulder surgery. A second-round pick at No. 33 overall, Levis has so far spent his rookie season behind Ryan Tannehill and Malik Willis as the Titans' third-string QB.

With Tannehill ruled out for Sunday's game due to a high ankle sprain, it's now Levis' turn to see action. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel did not publicly declare Levis as the starter when speaking with the media this past week, saying he and Willis (who filled in for an injured Tannehill before the bye during their Week 6 loss to the Ravens) would both play against Atlanta.

But sources say the Titans used the bye week to get Levis ready to start, and that did not appear to change this week.

"If my name is called, I'll be ready to go," Levis told reporters this past week. "Our bye week may look a little different from other teams. We stay and