Anthony Richardson and Will Levis entered the NFL last season with similar qualities.
Both played in the SEC, had strong arms, and were seen as promising talents. Most draft experts ranked them as the third or fourth best quarterbacks in that draft class. Richardson was selected by Indianapolis at No. 4, while Levis was taken by Tennessee at No. 33.
However, even though their second seasons are coming to an end, they still haven’t faced each other on the field. This will not happen on Sunday either.
Both the Titans and the Colts have more questions than answers when it comes to their quarterbacks, who were expected to be the future of their teams.
“He’s had two games that have really been a struggle for him, and we need to see better play,” said first-year Titans coach Brian Callahan when announcing Levis’ benching this week. “Like any other player, when your performance dips the way it did and we have a chance to let someone else play… I still believe very much in Will.”
Levis’ benching is just the latest twist in his journey.
Richardson has missed the last two games against the Titans because of injuries. The only game he started in 2023, he left early due to a shoulder injury. Levis started last season behind Ryan Tannehill, played, and lost the last two games against Indianapolis (6-8), and now he is benched.
Levis is responsible for 17 of Tennessee’s league-worst 29 turnovers. After losing three straight games and five of the last six, the Titans (3-11) decided to make a change — at least for now.
Richardson can relate to this situation. It’s been a month since he reclaimed the starting role after being benched for two weeks due to poor play and leaving a game because he was tired. Coach Shane Steichen encouraged Richardson to focus more on the details of his game, and he has shown improvement at times.
Like Levis, Richardson struggled with turnovers in a crucial 31-13 loss at Denver last week, which may have cost the Colts (6-8) a playoff spot. However, unlike Levis, who will be replaced by Mason Rudolph, Richardson is hopeful of bouncing back by winning Indianapolis’ final three games and getting the help needed for the team to make the postseason.
“We’re just trying to make sure we finish out strong this year, so if we do get an opportunity to get in the playoffs, we take care of our business,” Richardson said.
The Titans believe that some time on the bench will allow Levis to see the game from a new perspective, one that will help him return as a stronger player.
It certainly couldn’t hurt. Just ask Richardson.
“He’s shown improvement,” Callahan said. “There are a lot of things he has improved at, but there hasn’t been enough consistency at this moment, so those are the things we’re trying to fix.”
