Once considered a potential long-term starter for the Tennessee Titans, quarterback Zach Mettenberger was waived by the team on Monday.
The announcement came via a tweet that indicated Mettenberger was waived to make room for first-year players that excelled during rookie camp this past weekend.
To make room for the additions, we waived QB Zach Mettenberger, DE Iosia Iosia, TE Kevin Greene and WR Rashon Ceaser.
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) May 16, 2016
With Marcus Mariota entrenched in as the franchise quarterback and after signing veteran backup Matt Cassel during the spring, moving on from the former sixth-round pick can’t be considered a major surprise.
Mettenberger, 24, never panned out in Tennessee after being taken late in the 2014 NFL Draft. He posted a 0-10 record as a starter over two seasons, throwing more interceptions (14) than touchdowns (12) during that span.
He was a four-star recruit of the Georgia Bulldogs, but found himself kicked off the program after violating team rules as a freshman. Mettenberger would eventually catch on with LSU, acting as the program’s primary starter for two seasons.
Considering he’s still just 24 years old and has the necessarily skills to be a decent quarterback in the NFL, there promises to be a ton of interest in Mettenberger on the waiver wire. With a contract that includes only $1.2 million over the next two seasons, that’s magnified only further.
The Cleveland Browns will have the first opportunity to pick him up off the scrapheap with the San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars rounding out the top five there.
It would not be surprising to see either Cleveland or Dallas pick him up as a primary backup for the 2016 season.