Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker (10) passes against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Tennessee Titans starting quarterback Jake Locker knows it’s a make-or-break year, and there was actually a chance that the Titans would have skipped out on his expensive player option after a promising 2013 season. I’ve always been a fan of Locker and had him as my top quarterback in the 2011 draft class, because I was willing to put his tools, intangibles, and coachability over concerns relating to his accuracy. I still think Locker can be a franchise quarterback in this league, but I’m not completely confident in him. I mean, can anyone have full confidence in him?
Like Sam Bradford, this is probably Locker’s final shot, and he’s going to need to be fully healthy for the entire season in order to make good on it. Locker, of course, played in just seven games last season due to hip and Lisfranc injuries (he admirably came back from his hip injury several weeks before his original timeline). After missing five games in 2012, there are serious injury-related concerns about Locker going forward.
The Nashville Tennessean’s Jim Wyatt reports that Locker is ahead of schedule in his rehab from the ever-tricky Lisfranc injury (former AFC South QB Matt Schaub once had it), and he recently shed his walking boot. Locker knows that the Titans most likely won’t pick up his 2015 option, so getting as much offseason work in with the new staff is a huge priority. He is aiming to participate in OTAs, and we should expect him to be able to get some work in with Ken Whisenhunt and Jason Michael next month.