Report: Former Top QB Prospect Available for Steelers Trade
A former top quarterback prospect could be available on the trade market for the Pittsburgh Steelers, if they strike out with Aaron Rodgers. According to a report by Josina Anderson of The Exhibit on Tuesday, the Tennessee Titans intend to move on from former second-round pick Will Levis, and he could be available to the Steelers in a trade.
Anderson said that Levis has come up in recent preliminary trade inquiries. The Titans have been absolutely silent in the quarterback market. Tennessee did not retain backup Mason Rudolph, with the former Steelers quarterback returning to Pittsburgh on a two-year deal.
Would the Steelers want to reunite the Tennessee backup and starter from 2024 in Pittsburgh?
Levis made 12 starts for the Titans last season, completing 190 of his 301 passes (63.1%) for 2,091 yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He maintained an 81.4 passer rating, 27.8 QBR and 4.61 adjusted yards per attempt. He was sacked on a whopping 11.99% of his drop-backs, second only to Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns in the NFL last season.
Levis missed three games and a part of another with an AC joint sprain midseason. He returned to play six more games before being benched in Week 16 by new Titans coach Brian Callahan.
“We just needed some momentum,” Callahan said. “We needed something to spark us a bit. We had three turnovers in a really tight amount of time. That gave them some points . . . I just felt like we needed something. Not everything’s on the quarterback, but he’s the one that’s going to take the most heat when those decisions happen.”
Rudolph played two more games before Levis returned for the season finale. In his eight games and five starts, Rudolph finished 146 of 228 (64%) for 1,530 yards, nine touchdowns, nine interceptions, an 80.1 passer rating, 55.5 QBR and 5.61 adjusted net yards per attempt. Rudolph was sacked on 4.6 of his drop-backs.
Levis also started nine games for the Titans in 2023, including a 20-16 loss against the Steelers in Pittsburgh on Nov. 2.
The 33rd overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Levis was selected out Kentucky but also spent time collegiately at Penn State, primarily serving as a backup to Sean Clifford. At Penn State in 2019 and 2020, Levis was a teammate of Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth and cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
