Titans' Will Levis discusses being compared to Hall of Famer

Being compared to a Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback can create immense pressure for a signal-caller, but Tennessee Titans QB Will Levis took it in stride.

ESPN's Chris Low mentioned in September 2022 that Levis had "a Brett Favre-type of feel to him," partly because Levis is "a gunslinger who's not afraid to throw his body around and sacrifice for the team."

During a recent conversation with Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports, Levis discussed being compared to the Green Bay Packers legend.

"...I think a lot of people, when they hear gunslinger, they think about recklessness," Levis explained. "I definitely feel like I was a little too reckless in my college career and tried to make some throws that I would want to take back. I changed that mentality a bit in my play last year. Just realizing at the level that I was playing at where I had to be that much more careful with the ball. I was proud of how I was able to protect it a little more than I did in my college years."

Many view a "gunslinger" quarterback as one who, for better or for worse, trusts his arm to make any throw. While Favre is widely regarded as one of the greatest signal-callers in NFL history, he still holds the league record for career interceptions thrown even though he hasn't played in a meaningful game since the 2010 season.

As for Levis, the 2023 second-round draft pick made nine starts as a rookie and completed 58.4% of his pass attempts over those appearances. He finished the season with eight touchdown passes and four interceptions.

"The most fun thing to do is win," Levis noted, "and that's all I'm trying to do at the end of the day. I think how I'm trying to win might be different than others, and that's why it's entertaining, in certain situations at least. But I'm trying to win, and that's the way to have the most fun."

In a different interview this week, Levis confidently declared that his goal is to take a Titans team that ended the 2023 season in the basement of the division standings to the playoffs this coming January. It sounds like he's spreading that message to anybody who will listen.

"We want to make a playoff run," Levis told DeArdo. "That's the biggest goal for us. Obviously, every team's goal is going to win a Super Bowl...but we're going to take it one game at a time."

Levis's coaches will likely appreciate that he recognizes the most "fun" part of Favre's career is his Super Bowl win. While the Titans might not be close to competing for a title now, those within the organization hope Levis can elevate the franchise to that level by 2025.