NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Everyone should enjoy this endeavor and see it for what it is: a person having fun, not taking themselves too seriously, and capitalizing on their unique niche in the market. Will Levis got top marks this week.
He also made history. Unless anyone can remember another NFL quarterback who arrived at a press conference wearing his own spice-inspired cologne, sprayed it on the wrists of several reporters, and then watched his teammates sniff those reporters’ wrists and give their critiques. It was all a little odd. But as a vehicle for Hellman’s Will Levis No. 8, Parfum de Mayonnaise concoction, Levis was brilliant.
As a quarterback, he wasn’t. The disappointment was evident in his reaction Thursday toward the end of the second day of two joint practices between the Tennessee Titans and the Seattle Seahawks after he threw an interception on the first play of a two-minute drill. His shoulders were slumped, his helmet was off, his words were mumbled.
The first-team offense needed a strong finish to a largely frustrating day. Instead, that miss was the end of it — the starters were done. Levis may not throw another pass involving anyone other than his teammates until the season opener on Sept. 8 in Chicago. He and the other starters won’t play when the teams meet at Nissan Stadium on Saturday, and then we’ll see if and how often in the final preseason game in New Orleans.
😂 🏈 WATCH: “They tried to define you – but you are the ingredient for your own success.”
Titans QB @will_levis is known to put mayonnaise in his coffee – now he has a Mayo Cologne.
What a time to be alive. pic.twitter.com/KvX57L18YI
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) 14 August 2024
“I thought the execution wasn’t good the whole time and we threw an interception that would have ended the game — so that’s good coaching to learn from, but I was very disappointed,” new coach Brian Callahan said, being as negative as he gets, at least until the actual football starts. “I was hoping to get better results with the surgery instead of just throwing an interception on the first play and that’s it. So, yeah. Disappointing.”
So this is a good time to pause and ask the question: What does Levis look like (aside from the brilliant 40-second commercial for his Eau de Aioli, a deliberately over-the-top performance that culminates in him dipping a finger into a glass of Hellmann’s, tasting it, and whispering “egg”)?
The answer is: Pretty good. Not bad. Decent. Solid. Right there. Not unlike a certain spice that adds flavor and substance without blinding or overpowering.
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Levis made some great shots. Some misses. A lot of mundane, day-to-day work that gets overanalyzed every August for the benefit of the league and sometimes to the detriment of its players. It was more positive than negative, with bad plays usually the result of physical misses rather than bad decisions.
He had no problems directing the offense before or after the snap, which is really the only red flag that matters at this stage.
GO DEEPER
Second-year NFL prospects: Will Levis and other 2023 draft picks ready to impress
Levis is doing so, preparing for a second NFL season that could take him either way – toward a second quarter-billion-dollar contract and as much mayo as he could dream of, or toward life as a backup quarterback – and doing so under what will at times be difficult conditions. The Titans won’t play poorly on offense for a third straight season, but gaps on defense are still fairly common.
Against the Seahawks, Levis did not have to rely on returning top receiver DeAndre Hopkins (knee) or newcomer Tyler Boyd (bruised foot). He has good chemistry with Hopkins. He seemed to develop immediate chemistry with Boyd earlier in training camp.
He’s still struggling to develop it with the most explosive and highest-paid pass receiver on the roster, Calvin Ridley, and that’s become a daily talking point with the Titans. It led to what I thought was a somewhat off-handed remark from Ridley to reporters on Wednesday when he said he “didn’t run fast enough” on a missed long shot.
The play in question looked more like Ridley got a little confused on the route and paused so long that he missed a chance to pursue the ball. But overanalysis doesn’t have to be limited to actions in August. Words work, too.
“I wouldn’t put it down to not running fast enough,” Callahan said. “It reminds me a little bit of when Ja’Marr Chase came in as a rookie in Cincinnati. There was a huge fuss about him forgetting how to catch a football. And we couldn’t hit him far, we couldn’t hit, and he can’t catch. I think the same thing happened to Jerry Rice, if I’m not mistaken. But some of those ups and downs in training camp are a little bit exaggerated. I’m not too worried about the process, I think we’re in the right place. Obviously I’d like to hit one or two of them, but those things come and I don’t overreact to them at all.”
#Titans Brian Callahan on the course of the conversations with QB Will Levis and the mistakes he made during the speech: pic.twitter.com/pNA4AhD4Rt
— Kayla Anderson ✨ (@KaylaAndersonTV) 15 August 2024
Levis was unavailable Thursday but said Wednesday of the misses with Ridley: “We’re right there. I know we are. And I know I’m going to make those throws when the season comes. But (we) just have to keep working at it. I’ve got to keep trusting him. He’s got to keep trusting me.”
Five years ago, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots convened at the same practice field for joint practices with the Titans. Watching Brady face off against the Titans’ two best quarterbacks — starter Marcus Mariota and backup Ryan Tannehill — was like watching Mikhail Baryshnikov on one stage and that Australian breakdancer on the other.
Five months later, the Titans had gone from having the worst offense in the NFL to one of the best in one season, and Tannehill was quarterbacking a playoff win at New England that ended Brady’s tenure there. This will probably always be my favorite “training camp doesn’t matter” story.
A training camp is like raising children: the daily lessons and work are important, but many things that seem important at the moment are soon completely forgotten. Write things down and take lots of photos and videos.
And try not to overreact. When Levis’ career is over, I’m sure he’ll remember it most for his hilarious stint at training camp 2024 to promote a cologne with proceeds going to the Youth Villages and Special Olympics charities. I have to say, it has a pleasant, lemony scent and doesn’t elicit the same revulsion from him as his college video of mayo in his coffee.
Kentucky QB Will Levis skips the Music City Bowl and declares for the NFL Draft.
We wonder if any NFL executive plans to ask Levis about his habit of mixing mayonnaise with coffee 🤣☕️pic.twitter.com/ZuR92TFKVU
— CBSSports (@CBSSports) December 7, 2022
“It’s solid,” said Titans guard Peter Skoronski. “It smells less like mayo than I thought it would. Maybe there’s a little hint, but that’s about it. I don’t really know how to describe smells, but it smells decent. Sweet, smooth, not too spicy.”
Solid, neat. That’s enough for now.
(Photo of Will Levis (8) and Calvin Ridley: Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA Today)
Tennessee Titans
