After having one of the best backup quarterback situations in the NFL last season, the Tennessee Titans are on the opposite side of the spectrum in 2020.
Last year, the Titans acquired Ryan Tannehill to be Marcus Mariota’s backup, and Tannehill eventually ended up replacing Mariota, leading to the Titans turning their season around and making a deep playoff run.
Tennessee went on to ink Tannehill to a four-year, $118 million extension after his sensational season, but also lost Mariota in free agency, leaving a less-than desirable situation behind the former No. 8 overall pick.
The Titans will have a competition for the position in training camp between Logan Woodside and 2020 seventh-round pick, Cole McDonald, two signal-callers who have never taken a regular season snap in the NFL.
Because of the lack of upside Woodside brings and the overall lack of experience he and McDonald have, it’s no surprise that the Titans’ backup quarterback situation was ranked as one of the worst in the NFL by Pro Football Focus’ Ian Hartitz, who placed the Titans at No. 31.
The Titans narrowly avoided being the league’s single-worst backup QB room by devoting at least a single draft pick to the group. As one of the few people on this planet who watched every AAF game back in the spring of 2019, I can assure you that Woodside is not an answer. He was largely out-played by backup QB Marquise Williams with the San Antonio Commanders. And then we have McDonald, who threw for 70 touchdowns and 8,032 yards during his three seasons at Hawaii. The dual-threat talent was selected in the seventh round and possesses a fun style of play, but to call him raw is a vast understatement. An injury to Ryan Tannehill would likely lead to an even more-robust workload for Derrick Henry.
For a team like the Titans that has Super Bowl aspirations and a starting quarterback with an injury history, the backup situation is a bit troubling. Should Tannehill miss any time with an injury, it could end up derailing Tennessee’s season.
That’s why Tennessee must consider bringing in a veteran backup option, which is something general manager Jon Robinson has hinted could be a possibility at some point.
However, the longer the Titans wait to do so, the less options they’ll have.
