Jets adding a new QB: Titans cast-off Will Levis set to sign with New York's practice squad, per report

Sep 22, 2026 at 1:55 pm ET • 2 min read

The New York Jets have decided to add some insurance at the quarterback position and they did that on Tuesday by signing Will Levis to the practice squad, according to The Ringer. 

The Jets actually showed some interest in Levis earlier this month. After the former second-round pick got cut by the Titans on Aug. 30, the Jets brought him in for a tryout just a few days later, and although they didn't sign him at the time, they clearly liked what they saw, because they're signing him now. 

To make room for Levis on the practice squad, the Jets will be releasing Bailey Zappe. 

Why the Jets are making the move

Aaron Glenn has made it clear that Geno Smith is the starter, but the backup situation is a little murkier. Cade Klubnik is QB2 in New York, but he's a rookie, so the Jets likely wanted to make sure they had another QB with some starting experience on the roster. 

In that sense, Levis fits the bill perfectly. The former Titans quarterback has been in the NFL since 2023 and he's started a total of 21 games over the past three seasons. The Titans were hoping that Levis, who was the 33rd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, would eventually be their franchise quarterback, but he never quite developed into that. 

Although Levis showed plenty of flashes, he was never consistent. In his first start ever for the Titans back in 2023, he threw four touchdown passes, which tied the NFL record for most passing touchdowns in an NFL debut. The problem for Levis is that he only threw four more touchdowns over the rest of a season that saw him start eight more games. 

The Titans handed him the starting QB job heading into the 2024 season, but he wasn't able to hold on to it. In the first five starts that year, he only threw for more than 200 yards in one game while throwing seven interceptions. The Titans finally benched him and after Week 15 after a game where he turned the ball over four times. After finishing with the worst record in the NFL in 2024, the Titans used the first overall pick to select Levis' eventual replacement in Cam Ward. 

Levis spent the 2025 season on the Titans' bench, and at that point, it was pretty clear that his time in Tennessee was going to be coming to an end. He ended his Titans career with a 5-16 record in 21 starts. 

In New York, the 27-year-old Levis will have exactly zero pressure on him. The Jets will likely be hoping that Levis can be a good influence on Klubnik in the QB room.