NFL final cuts include Will Levis

The Tennessee Titans waived quarterback Will Levis on Aug. 30 as NFL teams cut rosters to the regular-season limit of 53 players. The move put one of the league’s better-known preseason bubble names onto waivers and made him one of the most widely cited surprises of cutdown weekend. CBS Sports listed Levis at the top of its roundup of the 12 biggest surprises, and NFL.com separately reported that the former No. 33 overall pick was being waived. The cuts came as all 32 clubs reached the league’s Sunday deadline for initial 53-man rosters. ### Why did Will Levis stand out from all the other cuts? Will Levis entered the league as the No. 33 overall pick in the 2023 draft, and that draft status is a big reason his release drew attention. NFL.com identified him as a former second-round pick with starting experience, and CBS Sports called his exit the most surprising move of the weekend. ESPN reported on Aug. 30 that Levis had thrown for 2,091 yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2024, the last time he appeared in game action for Tennessee. ESPN also said the Titans’ 3-14 finish that season set up the franchise to select quarterback Cam Ward with the top pick the following year. ### What exactly did the Titans do at the deadline? (cbssports.com) The Titans said in an official team release on Aug. 30 that they had trimmed the roster to 53 players and that Levis was among the most notable players waived or released. Tennessee’s list also included quarterback Hendon Hooker, guard Cordell Volson, receiver K.J. Osborn and several other veterans and camp players. (espn.com) NFL.com’s league-wide tracker and ESPN’s cutdown coverage both said Sunday’s deadline was 6 p.m. Eastern for every team to finalize an initial 53-man roster. CBS Sports said the league held final cuts on a Sunday for the first time in 22 years, with nearly 1,200 players released over the weekend. ### Where did Levis stand on Tennessee’s depth chart before the move? (tennesseetitans.com) The Titans’ preseason and roster reporting pointed to a crowded quarterback room. A Tennessee roster listing from late August showed Cam Ward, Mitchell Trubisky, Will Levis and Hendon Hooker among the quarterbacks in camp, while an ESPN roster projection published before cuts asked directly whether Levis would make the team. (nfl.com) CBS Sports reported after the waiver move that Levis had been demoted to third string before Tennessee decided to part ways with him. That left his roster spot exposed as the club moved toward its final quarterback decisions. ### Were the Titans done once the 53-man roster was filed? The Titans said in their Aug. 30 announcement that the club could still claim players and release others in the following days. (espn.com) That caveat mattered across the league because the initial 53 is a deadline roster, not a frozen one, and teams routinely use waiver claims and practice-squad signings to keep changing the back end of the roster. (cbssports.com) Tennessee’s transaction page showed the next wave of moves immediately after cutdown weekend. The Titans signed 16 players to the practice squad on Aug. 31, then added four more on Sept. 2 while waiving three others from that group. ### What happens next for Levis and for the rest of the league? Waived players such as Levis first pass through the waiver process before they can choose a new team, and NFL.com said his age, arm talent and starting background could make him a backup option or development project elsewhere. (tennesseetitans.com) CBS Sports also published a separate look at possible landing spots after Tennessee moved on. (tennesseetitans.com) Week 1 is now the next fixed point on the calendar. ESPN said teams can still make moves before the opener even after reaching the 53-man deadline, and Tennessee’s own transaction log showed roster churn continuing into Sept. 2. (espn.com) (nfl.com)