Titans QB Named Dark Horse MVP Candidate

The Tennessee Titans quarterback could make an MVP jump this season.

Aug 10, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans Will Levis (8) celebrates his touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports / Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis is entering his second season and sits as a long shot to win MVP. He currently has 150-1 odds on MGM, but he has an ideal set up to make some noise this season. 

The Titans hired Brian Callahan to be the head coach and he has an impressive track record with quarterbacks Peyton Manning, Joe Burrow, and Matthew Satfford.

Callahan was with the Bengals from 2019-2024 and helped develop Joe Burrow into the superstar he is today. He was part of the the Denver Broncos coaching staff where Manning threw for 55 touchdowns, won a Super Bowl, and made another one. He also worked with Matthew Stafford in 2016 when he had over 4,000 yards of passing and 29 touchdowns.

The Titans also added Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to join DeAndre Hopkins in what should be a top wide receiver trio in the NFL this season and replaced superstar running back Derek Henry with a much better pass catcher in Tony Pollard to hopefully add another layer to the Titans passing attack.

Will Brinson from NFL.com also thinks Levis is a sneaky MVP pick at his value.

"Levis is a REAL long shot, but I think his number is better than most. Perhaps you read the glowing Tuscan Castle-filled breakdown of Levis game from our own Pete Prisco? Levis also has a new coaching staff and I'm bullish on Brian Callahan, especially since he brought his dad Bill along with him to Tennessee," Brinson writes. "That development should help the run game in a massive way, as should the addition of Tony Pollard along with Tajae Spears in the backfield. Tennessee's OL isn't in great shape, but picking up J.C. Latham in the draft is massive. The Titans also went out and splurged on Calvin Ridley in free agency. Pairing him with DeAndre Hopkins and then adding Tyler Boyd gives them a really nice, complementary veteran wideout group. Chig Okonkwo and Josh Whyle are sneaky tight end options. The AFC South is a tough division, but it's at least gettable. Levis has the arm, no question. And even though he fell to the second round, he might have the pedigree too. He's been endorsed by Peyton Manning and he was at one point considered a top-five pick in the draft before his dip. Maybe he takes a massive leap in his second year and leads the Titans to a division title."

The Titans did not only add offensive pieces to help Levis but also acquired defensive veterans to help the team make a playoff push in 2024. Cornerback L'Jarius Sneed is one of the most underrated in football, Jeffery Simmons is still a great pass-rusher, and Kenneth Murray has had a great training camp and will likely be the leader of Tennessee's linebacking core.

The unproven Levis has a chance to put up outstanding numbers with his new weapons and if his defense follows through, the Titans have a chance to win a wide-open AFC South division. He is far from the favorite but with all the ingredients in place, Levis is a dark horse MVP candidate.

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