NFL: Where Does Zach Mettenberger Fit Best?

There are still a few teams with some question marks behind center. Could young quarterback Zach Mettenberger offer a quick solution?

In April, Tennessee Titans current general manager Jon Robinson was asked if there was any interest on the NFL market for quarterback Zach Mettenberger. A sixth-round pick in 2014, he had taken a back seat to veteran Matt Cassel as Marcus Mariota’s backup with the club.

“I would say Zach’s been here, he’s been working, he’s buying into what we’re doing, and we’re excited that he’s a part of this football team,” said the club’s GM then to Jason Wolf of the Tennessean.

Unfortunately for Mettenberger, the entirety of that statement no longer applies. On Monday (May 16), the organization released the young signal-caller. It’s safe to say that he didn’t do much to distinguish himself during his very-brief stay in Nashville.

Over the course of two seasons, the 2014 sixth-round selection from LSU played in a total of 14 games and made 10 starts. He completed a respectable 60.3 percent of his passes for 2,347 yards and a dozen scores.

But Mettenberger had his issues with ball security. He was picked off 14 times and lost four of his eight fumbles. The 6’5”, 224-pound pro managed only 12 yards rushing (1 touchdown) on 14 attempts while being sacked 31 times.

While some will also point to Mettenberger’s 0-10 record as a starter, keep in mind that this is a Titans’ team that owns a 5-27 record the past two seasons combined regardless of who is playing quarterback.

The franchise is hoping that Mariota is the answer as the club looks to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Jan 3, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts safety Dwight Lowery (33) pressures quarterback Tennessee Titans quarterback Zach Mettenberger (7) at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports /

As for Mettenberger, Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk has his own list of possible destinations and they certainly make sense. They include the Cleveland Browns, San Diego Chargers and San Francisco 49ers, just to name a few. This offseason, the Bolts brought back offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt – was the young quarterback’s head coach for 23 games with the Titans.

Is there anywhere Mettenberger could go and immediately challenge for a starting role? It’s quite unlikely considering stranger things have happened. As this stage of the game, nearly every club has either settled on its starter or have the players they want to contend for the job.

More from NFL Spin Zone

And that brings us to the New York Jets. The team still employs Geno Smith and Bryce Petty. General manager Mike Maccagnan used a second-round pick in April’s draft on Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg. Of course, the organization is still waiting to close a new deal with free-agent Ryan Fitzpatrick. He led the club to a 10-6 mark this past season, threw for a career-best 3,905 yards and set a franchise record with 31 touchdown passes.

Could the Jets bring Mettenberger in and strengthen their bargaining power when it comes to getting Fitzpatrick back in the fold? That strategy wouldn’t appear to make much sense. However, could they bring in the former Titan and cut ties with Smith? That also wouldn’t seem likely due to his familiarity with the system but never say never in this league.

More nfl spin zone: Pittsburgh Steelers: Could Brandon Boykin Return?

Could Mettenberger be on the outside looking in when it comes to the 2016 season? It’s hard to believe that this is a 24-year-old prospect with some NFL experience. But it’s already been a week where we have seen a few players – Mettenberger, cornerback Brandon Boykin (Panthers) and wide receiver Andre Roberts (Redskins) – cut loose already.

This NFL can be a very rough room.

UPDATE: Shortly after this posting, the San Diego Chargers announced that they had claimed Mettenberger off waivers (via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com).

Home/NFL