Quarterback Will Levis officially becomes an unrestricted free agent upon clearing waivers. It's a bit surprising and, frankly, even slightly off-putting that no one claimed him. However, his draft pedigree, age (he turned 27 in June) and second-to-none positional value are appealing enough to roll the dice, specifically for the New York Giants.
Levis, a second-round pick in 2023, sought a "fresh start" following a disappointing three-year run with the Tennessee Titans (h/t ESPN's Jeremy Fowler). He got his wish and is free to go where the wind takes him, and the breeze in East Rutherford could be picking up.
A decently productive and remarkably toolsy prospect coming out of college, Levis has shown flashes as a pro, albeit sparingly and sporadically. He figures to land on his feet in short order — so why shouldn't the Giants at least try putting their hat in the ring?
Giants backup signal-caller Jameis Winston is on an expiring contract heading into 2026, and he's seemingly had a wandering eye for his post-playing career in television. It'd be prudent to prepare for life without him, because it might be coming sooner rather than later. Levis makes sense as an intriguing reclamation project and eventual successor to the one-time Pro Bowler.
Perhaps most notably, the G-Men have an easy connection to Levis. His old head coach with the Titans, Brian Callahan, is New York's passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach.
Weighing the pros and cons, New York can do much worse than taking a flier on Levis. He can sit and develop behind Winston and franchise passer Jaxson Dart, giving the team a low-risk, medium-reward third-string option.
Beating the drum for the New York Giants to sign Will Levis
Callahan and Levis overlapped in Tennessee for 2024 and part of 2025 before the club fired the former. They didn't fare too well together, though there are reasons to believe a poor environment and organizational ineptitude were at the root of their shortcomings. A change of scenery can do wonders, and a pre-existing rapport can definitely open doors, as we've repeatedly seen throughout the league.
Win-loss record aside (3-5), Levis quietly enjoyed a solid eight-game stretch upon taking over as the Titans' starter back in 2023 as a rookie. His ninth and final appearance of the season ended prematurely because of a foot issue that sidelined him thereafter. Excluding the aforementioned early exit, he ranked well among the 36 QBs with 100-plus dropbacks from Weeks 8 through 15 in the following key metrics:
- Sixth-most big-time throws (15)
- 10th in passing yards (1,792)
- Tied for 11th in passing first downs (84)
- Tied for 12th in yards per attempt (7.2)
Evidently, Levis was producing at a respectable, if not net-positive, level. We're not talking about some two- or three-contest span buoyed by one outlier performance either. Those numbers were across two months of football.
Why a Will Levis-Giants pairing might not yield positive results
Nevertheless, you have to take the bad with the good, and Levis is no exception; heck, he personifies the statement. The gunslinger's 27 sacks taken and 12 turnover-worthy throws were both tied for second-most during that period using the same statistical filter. His 59.0 completion percentage was third-to-last, trailing only the Carolina Panthers' Bryce Young and veteran journeyman Joe Flacco.
It's also worth pointing out that Levis was a holdover from the previous regime when Callahan took the reins in Tennessee. While they've already been on the same side once, revisionist history forgets that the latter benched the former in 2024, essentially severing their working relationship.
Finally, but certainly not least, Levis just missed this entire past campaign after electing to undergo surgery on his throwing (right) shoulder last July. He reportedly had the procedure "to ensure long-term health, based on medical opinions," according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. While there have been no documented setbacks, a return to pre-injury form is never guaranteed.
Note: Metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus' premium stats ($).
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