Why Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans are benching Will Levis for Mason Rudolph at QB

Tennessee Titans coach Brian Callahan is making the move from Will Levis to Mason Rudolph at quarterback, a major shift in the team's strategy with three games remaining.

Levis, the second-year quarterback and former second-round pick, was benched midway through last week's game against Cincinnati. Now, as the Titans prepare for a Week 16 divisional showdown against the Indianapolis Colts, Levis will stay on the bench as Rudolph takes over as the Titans' starter.

Here's how Callahan explained the move.

"We'll take it week-to-week. I won't make any proclamations about anything else. But it'll be Mason for this week for sure. I think I should be very clear: This doesn't mean it's the end of Will's ability to be a good quarterback. Where we're at, I felt like we needed a spark at the quarterback position. Just like any other player, when your play dips the way it did, there's a chance to let somebody else do it."

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Levis will remain active as the Titans' backup quarterback.

Rudolph has appeared in five games for the Titans this season, making three starts. He's thrown for 1,015 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions, completing 63% of his passes. He led the Titans to a win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 4, although he only threw for 85 yards on a day where the Titans primarily rode running backs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears to victory. He also led the Titans to an overtime win against the New England Patriots in Week 9, throwing for 240 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.

In relief of Levis last week, Rudolph completed 21 of his 26 attempts for 209 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, posting his best passer rating since joining the Titans. He primarily kept things close to the line of scrimmage, only attempting four passes that traveled more than 10 yards in the air and only completing two. Levis, meanwhile, was 28-for-53 on passes 10 or more yards downfield in his last six games.

The Titans (3-11) visit the Colts (6-8) at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday (noon, CBS).

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Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.