Top 5 Potential Trade Destinations for Will Levis

The writing on the wall for Will Levis was in April when Tennessee drafted Cam Ward with the first overall pick of the 2026 draft but offseason surgery prevented a potential change of scenery this season. Odds are, even after a tough season for Cam Ward, Levis will still be on the move this offseason and he does have some value as a QB on a rookie contract for another season. For all the bad and the memes of Levis, he has flashed major potential even with a poor roster and now fired coach in Brian Callahan. Being part of the prior regime and having no ties to him, Mike Borgonzi should elect to move this offseason. I looked at some trades over the past 10 years to see what the potential return could be and here are some examples that could fit what a Levis trade could return:

• 2024

  • Seahawks received Sam Howell, 2024 4th and 6th Round picks and the Commanders received 2024 3rd and 5th Round picks

• 2021

  • Panthers received Sam Darnold and the Jets received 2nd and 4th Round picks in the 2022 draft + 2021 6th round pick

• 2018

  • Saints received Teddy Bridgewater and 2019 6th round pick and the Jets receive a 2019 3rd round pick

• 2017

  • 49ers received Jimmy Garroppolo and Patriots received a 2018 2nd round pick

I believe these are decent baselines based off of the the perceived value of the guys at the time of the trade. Essentially, it just takes one team to fall in love with the player and a QB can net you a better than expected return. With the circumstances surrounding Levis and the news that he had a bad shoulder during the 2024 season, it's not out of the question to think an organization can look past that disastrous 2024 season. Here are 5 teams that I believe could be suitors for Levis this offseason.

1. Los Angeles Rams

How Levis Fits

Matthew Stafford just signed a 2 year contract through next season this past offseason but entering his age 38 season , the Rams could choose to take a high upside swing with a lower cost. Baker Mayfield came in and revitalized his stock in a few games under Sean McVay and you could see something similar with the Levis. He shares some of the same physical traits as a young Stafford, as a big armed gun slinger coming out of a bad situation. With a year sitting behind Stafford on a rookie contract, this could be a risk the Rams are willing to take to get a potential reclamation project franchise QB a la, Baker Mayfield, Daniel Jones and Sam Darnold.

2. Atlanta Falcons

How Levis Fits

This situation is a little more complex than most, as the Falcons have a 1st round pick invested in Michael Penix and a huge contract invested in Kirk Cousins. The problem is Penix is going to be coming off another major injury, Cousins is another year older and clearly regressed and the Falcons lack a 1st round pick in this draft. This is where Levis comes in. If Penix is not ready to start the season, this would give Levis a chance to beat out Cousins and he can be had for fairly cheap. If Levis plays well, you can either move him or Penix to recoup some of the draft capital you lost.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

How Levis Fits

The Steelers have Aaron Rodgers in his age 41 season and I can't imagine he has much more left in the tank. Rodgers is a free agent this offseason and the Steelers have no backup plan in the event he decides to retire or sign somewhere else. Odds are, Rodgers is back with the Steelers next season in my opinion but they are stuck in mediocrity. They will not have a pick high enough to grab a QB of the future, so why not let Levis learn behind Rodgers and start to plan towards the future?

4. Minnesota Vikings

How Levis Fits

Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones both made their way through the Kevin O'Connell system and they ultimately let them both walk in favor of JJ McCarthy. McCarthy has struggled with poor play and injuries (missing his entire rookie season). After seeing the Max Brosmer disaster last week, the Vikings should at minimum be in the market for some competition for JJ next season.

5. Cincinatti Bengals

How Levis Fits

I'm going a different route here. With the injury history of Joe Burrow and the disaster that struck when Jake Browning took over, I think the Bengals would be a good landing spot for Levis. He has experience in the system, as Callahan is a product of the Zac Taylor coaching tree and he is better than Browning in my opinion. They cannot rely on a 41 year old Flacco next year in the event of another Burrow injury.