Jets sign Will Levis, release Bailey Zappe in quarterback shakeup
The Jets are giving Will Levis a second chance.
The 2023 second-round pick is signing with the team’s practice squad, The Post’s Brian Costello confirmed Tuesday afternoon.
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The Jets worked out the former Kentucky star earlier this month.
Gang Green is also releasing fellow quarterback Bailey Zappe from the practice squad in a corresponding move.
Levis, 27, is three years removed from a promising rookie season with the Titans and has not enjoyed much success and battled injuries in recent years.
He still believes he’s a top quarterback, though.
“There are not 32 quarterbacks in this league better than me. I know that for sure,” he said in August. “I know I’ve put the tape out there already that I’m a dang good quarterback in this league.”
Levis started nine games for Tennessee in 2023 and threw eight touchdowns to four interceptions while tallying 1,808 yards in a solid showing.
His career took a turn for the worse the following year when the Titans went 2-10 in his 12 starts while he threw 13 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.
The Titans benched him that year, and then replaced him with No. 1 pick Cam Ward in the 2025 Draft.
Levis did not appear in any games last season after undergoing shoulder surgery, further raising uncertainty about his future with the AFC South franchise.
Tennessee ultimately waived him in August as part of roster cuts, ending a tenure that spanned 21 games over three seasons.
Levis tallied 21 touchdowns to 16 interceptions while leading Tennessee to a 5-16 record in his starts, and he has tallied 3,899 passing yards, 21 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions.
“I’m just trying to make the most of every opportunity that I get,” Levis said before being released. “I can’t control the reps that I get, and I’m trying to take this time to obviously work on myself but [also] bring along others with me. The reps I’ve taken before [were] with mainly the ones and twos, and I have the opportunity to work with guys that are really fighting for a roster position now and trying to bring them along and make as many opportunities for them as much as I’m making opportunities for me.
“So, I’m not worried about the competition per se or the amount of opportunities that they’re going to give me. I just got to make sure that I’m ready for when they are given to me and just preparing to be the best at that as possible.”
He now will try to revitalize his career with the Jets, and he’ll sit behind starter Geno Smith and fourth-round rookie backup Cade Klubnik on the team’s depth chart.
Many expect the Jets to use one of their three first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft — their own selection, Indianapolis’ and Dallas — on a quarterback.
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