The Titans' bye week came at the perfect time for Will Levis.
After suffering a shoulder injury in Tennessee's Week 4 win over Miami, Levis had an entire week off to rest his shoulder and wasn't forced to watch his team from the sideline. Now, he feels as if he's nearing a return following the team's Week 5 bye.
"Good," Levis said when asked Wednesday how his shoulder feels, . "It was good to get back out there and feel it out, and I feel good about where I'm at."
Levis reached this point after "fighting like hell to get out there on Sunday," which fits his personality. One would be hard-pressed to find a quarterback with more obvious grit and determination than the second-year passer from Kentucky, which occasionally works against him, like when he commits a mind-numbing turnover solely because he refuses to take a sack or hurts himself trying to heroically dive for a first down.
Such efforts will move a player like Levis closer to returning, but it isn't guaranteed he'll play against the AFC South rival Colts on Sunday, at least not yet.
"It's (a matter) of if I'm able to do everything that's going to be asked of me on Sunday," Levis said. "I got through today and felt it out, and I'm just going to see how it goes throughout the week. I feel good right now, and we'll see how the rest of the week goes.
"Obviously it's my first time throwing since coming back from it. I expect to be a little sore, but I'm just going to have to probably work through it and see where I'm at tomorrow."
Levis has multiple reasons to fight his way back as soon as possible: He's struggled to establish trust with his play, which has been erratic at times and hasn't risen to the level most expect from a quarterback. He also needs to fight against the possible development of a narrative that backup Mason Rudolph might be the better option at this point.
The best way to push back against calls for his job? By ensuring he can play, eliminating the chance for folks to get a closer look at his potential replacement.
That's not to say Rudolph was a world-beater in his relief appearance. Rudolph finished with just 85 passing yards in the win, leaning heavily on the running game and Tennessee's stout defense to get the job done. But Rudolph did steady the offense enough to help the Titans pull away, primarily by protecting the football -- something with which Levis has struggled in his first month of the 2024 season.
Levis will aim to fix that when he returns. He'll do so with a newfound appreciation for the opportunity.
"It sucks anytime you get an injury, but especially when it's to a body part that's so crucial to your career, your life and what you do. It's scary," Levis said. "I'm glad that I came off the field with the diagnosis that wasn't as bad as it could have been, and I'm working through it to make sure I can get back to where I was."
