Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson (28) during the game against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. The Titans defeated the Raiders 23-19. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Tennessee Titans have many questions that need to be answered right now, and the two most pressing ones are at head coach and quarterback. Mike Munchak has been a disappointment in Nashville, and he’s right on the chopping block. Meanwhile, the Titans still have to decide if they think Jake Locker is the franchise guy, and not believing in Locker as a franchise QB means that the Titans will most likely have to select a new quarterback in this year’s draft.
The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Silver reported that Munchak is “coaching for his job”, but that’s something most of us have already understood; there is little doubt that he is in the same boat as coaches like Leslie Frazier.
But what was very interesting was that the NFL Network duo reported that the Titans are expected to release star running back Chris Johnson, which would be a bold and shocking move. Johnson is in the prime of his rushing career at 28 and still has plenty of ability in him, but he has averaged just 3.8 yards per carry and makes more money than he should. The Titans will likely try to shop Johnson before they release him, but he’s too expensive for teams to acquire.
So if the Titans do want to part ways with Johnson, then they would have to save money by releasing him. I honestly think that the Titans should avoid doing this, because they can’t afford to lose a key part of the offense right now. Plus, Johnson still has some value for this team going into next season. Financial implications would likely have to do with their decision to release him now, but I still hardly think that it would be the right decision. If the Titans do what this report expects them to do, then they will be back to square one at running back and quarterback, since Rapoport and Silver are also reporting that the Titans are unlikely to pick up Locker’s option, meaning that they don’t believe he is “the guy”.