Tennessee Titans: Potential backup quarterback targets for 2020
By John Laird
Ryan Tannehill is now the quarterback for the Tennessee Titans future but who could the organization bring in to back him up?
Tennessee Titans fans know all too well about the significance of a backup quarterback. It was only four years ago in 2016 when a chance at a playoff berth was squashed when then backup quarterback Matt Cassel couldn’t beat the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans’ backups when Marcus Mariota went down.
Then the same scenario essentially played out just two years later in 2018 when Blaine Gabbert gave the game away against the Indianapolis Colts in a win-and-get-in situation.
While Ryan Tannehill was able to stay healthy during the Titans’ magical postseason run that ended in the AFC Championship — after taking over midseason when he started 2019 as the backup — it’s absolutely vital that general manager Jon Robinson seeks out a viable backup at the position. Tannehill’s injury history prior to last season is significant, as it includes two torn ACL instances.
The Titans have only one other quarterback on the roster, Logan Woodside. Woodside hasn’t looked terrible in preseason snaps but I highly doubt he’s the guy head coach Mike Vrabel would want leading this talented offense if the worst-case scenario were to play out in terms of a Tannehill injury.
There are many different routes any team can go with selecting a backup quarterback. When Tannehill was acquired last offseason, it was looked at as a great move in large part to the athletic similarities he and Mariota shared. That way, the play-calling doesn’t have to change much — if at all — should the backup be thrust into the lineup.
The team could elect to just go with a solid veteran option. That quarterback may not be able to do the things Tannehill can do from a pure athletic standpoint, but you can rely on them to make solid decisions and take care of the football. Or the team could draft one, hoping for them to develop into the eventual starter or even a nice trade chip down the line. Taking both options into account, these are the Titans’ five best options at backup quarterback.