No matter who is at starting quarterback for the Tennessee Titans in 2019, the team is going to need a solid backup as an insurance policy.
And that’s especially true if Tennessee re-signs Ryan Tannehill, who has been known to fall victim to injuries in the past.
As it stands now, Logan Woodside is the only quarterback under contract in Tennessee. While the Titans no doubt like Woodside, the truth is he has never taken a snap in a regular season game.
With the Titans having Super Bowl aspirations in 2020, an inexperienced backup who has shown nothing in the NFL is not the way to go.
The Titans may end up drafting a young quarterback to groom for the future, but as is the case with Woodside, there is no guarantee that quarterback will be ready to keep Tennessee competitive if his number is called.
The best bet for a team like the Titans is to sign a veteran quarterback in free agency, and luckily for the Titans there will be some solid options out there to choose from.
And those top options will be more inclined to go to Tennessee than other destinations because of the potential to start that Tannehill’s injury history presents, and the quarterback-friendly offense the Titans run.
Let’s take a look at the top six options that are out there, all of whom are unrestricted free agents.
Case Keenum
Keenum is undoubtedly at the top of the heap when it comes to available backup quarterbacks this offseason thanks to his past starting experience and success.
The 32-year-old had his best season in 2017 with the Minnesota Vikings when he threw for 3,547 yards and 22 touchdowns to seven picks, while also completing 67.6 percent of his passes.
Perhaps most importantly, Keenum was at the helm of a 13-3 team and won a playoff game against the New Orleans Saints, albeit with the help of a miracle.
In 2019, Keenum played for the Washington Redskins, starting in eight games before being replaced for good by first-round pick, Dwayne Haskins.
While he certainly didn’t have the same impressive stats with the Redskins that he had with the Vikings — or even the decent stats he posted with the Denver Broncos in 2018 — I’m not sure any quarterback could have succeeded in that offense.