Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean is reporting that the Tennesse Titans plan to start rookie Zach Mettenberger against J.J. Watt and the Houston Texans on Sunday.
This move is rather interesting considering that head coach Ken Whisenhunt indicated on Monday that Jake Locker would start when healthy. Now that Locker is ready to go, it appears the team has changed its mind.
As Wyatt points out, this could be the end of the line for Locker in Tennessee. He boasts a 9-13 record in 22 career starts and has thrown 26 touchdowns compared to 19 interceptions since being selected No. 8 overall back in the 2011 NFL draft. He’s been an inconsistent performer on the field and has missed substantial time in each of the last three seasons due to injury. Locker has put up 764 yards with four touchdowns in four starts this season.
Tennessee did not pick up the fifth-year option on Locker’s rookie deal this past offseason, which means he is set to become a free agent following the year.
Mettenberger, a sixth-round pick from LSU this past May, is seen as a talented quarterback with a ton of upside. It remains to be seen whether he’s ready to actually step into a starting role and perform at a high level.
But at 2-5 on the season and already out of the playoff race, this is a move the Titans had to eventually make. It will be tough sledding for Mettenberger in his first start, especially with J.J. Watt looking for blood on the opposite end of the line of scrimmage.
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