NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins had just gotten into his stance as rookie quarterback Will Levis yelled out the cadence. Hopkins executed a stutter step release at the snap and sprinted past an Indianapolis Colts defensive back.
Levis saw his guy win on the outside and launched a pass to Hopkins, but it sailed out of bounds over his head. Hopkins demonstratively motioned to Levis where he felt the pass should have gone. Levis barked back as he jogged off the field as third down turned to fourth and they were forced to punt.
They would eventually fall 31-28 in the Week 13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the exchange between the rookie quarterback and veteran receiver is an example of how their relationship is maturing. The relationship is essential to Levis' development beyond this year and must get the chance to evolve in the future since Hopkins has another season on the two-year, $26 million deal he signed with the Titans in the offseason.
"I think it's evolved in what he's expected out of me and then in turn just what I can expect out of him," Levis said. "There's no more rookie mistakes, no more free passes."
Hopkins said he gave Levis a little leeway when he first took over as the starter for Ryan Tannehill in Week 8. But, after Levis' first start, Hopkins began to hold Levis to a higher standard. That's exactly the case entering Week 15.
Titans coach Mike Vrabel called the Hopkins-Levis relationship "critical" and feels his 24-year-old quarterback can benefit from having a proven veteran who has seen all of the coverages and been in similar situations before.
"Hop's played with a lot of quarterbacks, and they all talk differently," Vrabel said. "They throw it differently, and ultimately you have to be on the same page. So I think that's grown and they continue to build that."
The 11th-year veteran had to develop chemistry with a new quarterback 10 times when he was with the Houston Texans (2013-2019) and four more when he was with the Arizona Cardinals (2020-2022).
The experience Hopkins gained from learning to adapt is at the forefront of what he has done with his latest quarterback.
"I'm communicating with him after the play when we're on the sideline," Hopkins said. "We're speaking on certain things that we feel we can hit."
The results have followed. Levis has targeted Hopkins 60 times in his seven starts. They've connected 30 times for 522 yards and six touchdowns.
Levis flashed a big smile as he explained how Hopkins has been a "great role model and teammate." Hopkins' presence pushes Levis to prepare harder to take his game to the next level.
"It's coming along well," Hopkins said. "Will is out there making good choices. That's all you can ask for from a young quarterback, just go out there and play his game."
But that's not to say Levis doesn't have input on how things go.
Levis wasn't pulling any punches as he lambasted Hopkins in front of the bench during the TV broadcast of the aforementioned Colts game. Hopkins, a future Hall of Famer, just stood there calmly and absorbed it.
Former Titans receiver Chris Sanders is now an analyst for Nashville's 102.5 The Game, and he had to find a way to make a connection with a young Steve McNair, who was in the process of becoming a regular starter when they both entered the league in 1995.
"They're both not above learning from each other," Sanders said. "That's rare. You have a veteran in Hopkins that's listening to a rookie and you have a rookie that's listening to a veteran. Now there's a receiver that trusts his quarterback and a quarterback that trusts his receiver. That's why you'll see how he'll throw it anytime and any place because he knows that Hopkins is going to make that play."
Levis said Hopkins tells him to just throw it up there and let him get the ball. That's what Levis is doing more of as he's starting to see how Hopkins has made a living in the NFL making contested catches.
Hopkins' 45-yard reception with 18 seconds left in the first half Monday against the Miami Dolphins is a good example. Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard had sticky coverage on Hopkins as they ran down the field. Levis launched a pass to Hopkins anyway, and somehow he managed to come down with the ball.
That pass set up a 28-yard field go to give the Titans a 10-7 lead at halftime. They went on to squeak out a 28-27 comeback win.
But the trust goes beyond throwing jump balls. Hopkins has a history of being able to run routes differently from how they're drawn up in the playbook.
It's not quite freelancing, but it can be compared to backyard football. It's a mentality of, "I'll run to the tree and turn around for you to throw it," and if the defender turns with him, he knows to run the other way.
Levis is well aware of the chemistry it takes to execute on the fly. That's why they spend a lot of time together in the film room in addition to live reps in practice.
"It can be a little different, and that could scare a rookie quarterback," Levis said. "So that's something I'm just working through with him and understanding the different kinds of variations that could happen with the different routes he's running."
At 31 years old, Hopkins has 898 receiving yards this season, and is on pace for 1,174, which would be the ninth-best single-season total in franchise history. Two of Hopkins' three 100-yard receiving performances this season have come with Levis at quarterback.
The Titans are 3-4 with Levis as their quarterback and 5-8 overall. They'll have a chance to get an AFC South division win when they host the Texans at Nissan Stadium on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
Tennessee will wear the throwback Oilers uniforms -- in honor of their days in Houston -- for the game. The last time Levis wore them was in Week 8 when he finished with four touchdown passes to become the third quarterback in NFL history to do so in their debut.
"[Levis] wants to be that guy, the one that when we're in situations we can count on," Hopkins said. "You've gotta love that."