There’s no question that the Tennessee Titans have had some struggles at the quarterback position over recent seasons.
While the team has stressed the importance of adding a third quarterback, the Titans have just Marcus Mariota and Ryan Tannehill currently at the position after the recent release of Blaine Gabbert.
It’s been made clear that Mariota is the starter, and that Tannehill will serve as a veteran figure to push him and provide insurance.
When Sports Illustrated released its rankings of quarterback situations across the NFL, the Titans found themselves at No. 24. Only the Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals, Washington and the Miami Dolphins finished lower — in that order.
“I thought the signing of a reduced-price Tannehill was wise,” Connor Orr wrote. “The Titans get some injury insurance, and Mariota gets someone to push him heading into the most important season of his professional life (and a contract year).”
Insurance at quarterback is of serious importance particularly to the Titans, given the slew of injuries Mariota suffered last year. He missed three starts, and was sidelined enough for Gabbert to see action in eight games.
The Titans will need to do a much better job of keeping Mariota healthy if they hope to rank higher on lists like Orr’s in 2020.
Equally, Mariota will need to prove his ability to be the team’s franchise quarterback as he enters the final year of his rookie deal.
