Titans to start QB Will Levis against Steelers after ruling out Ryan Tannehill due to ankle injury

On Thursday, the Tennessee Titans will give Will Levis another opportunity as their starting quarterback. This decision comes after officially ruling out Ryan Tannehill due to an ankle injury. Levis will be making his second consecutive start for the Titans, following an impressive debut.

Tannehill sustained a right ankle sprain during the Titans’ Week 6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in London and has been sidelined since then. While he has been making progress in his rehabilitation and has been able to walk around the facility, he is not yet ready to return. With a short week between their win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday and Thursday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, there wasn’t enough time for Tannehill to fully recover.

As a result, the Titans will stick with Levis, who had an exceptional debut last week. In his first game, he completed 19-of-29 passes for 238 yards and four touchdowns, three of which were caught by wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Levis led the Titans to a 28-23 victory over the Falcons, ending their two-game losing streak. His impressive performance also surpassed Tannehill’s single-game touchdown record, further justifying his position as the starting quarterback.

The Titans drafted Levis in the second round earlier this year from Kentucky. Initially, he failed to secure the backup position behind Malik Willis at the start of the season. However, when Willis struggled and Tannehill got injured, Levis stepped in perfectly. He became just the third player in NFL history to throw four touchdown passes in his debut and the fifth player in league history to have at least 20 pass attempts and a passer rating of 130 or higher in their first game.

The Titans will face the Pittsburgh Steelers and their quarterback Kenny Pickett on Thursday at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. The Steelers will also welcome back defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, who had been sidelined since their season opener with a groin injury. Pickett, on the other hand, suffered a rib injury last week but confirmed that he will play.

Levis expressed his excitement about playing in the challenging environment of a loud stadium, stating, via ESPN. He said, “We’re ready to handle it, and I’m just looking forward to embracing the atmosphere and playing my best.”