Zach Mettenberger Named Starting QB for Titans in Week 8 vs. Texans

The Tennessee Titans are moving on to their third starting quarterback of 2014.

Head coach Ken Whisenhunt confirmed the decision Thursday, via the Titans:

Whisenhunt also spoke about the process that led to the decision and Mettenberger's future on the depth chart, via Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com and John Glennon of The Tennessean:

Offensive coordinator Jason Michael weighed in on the change under center, speaking about Mettenberger and his move into the starting role via Paul Kuharsky of ESPN and Wyatt:

Wyatt originally reported that the team would hand rookie Zach Mettenberger the first start of his NFL career against the Houston Texans on Sunday:

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On Monday, coach Ken Whisenhunt said the plan was for [Jake] Locker to regain his place in the starting lineup when healthy. But with the Titans having lost five of their last six games and facing steep odds to make the playoffs, the coach apparently had a change of heart. ...

... Indications are Mettenberger was informed of the decision Tuesday night. He was not in the locker room after practice Wednesday, when Locker was off-limits to the media. Charlie Whitehurst, who has three starts this season, said he was not allowed to talk to reporters.

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According to ESPN.com's Adam Caplan, the Titans had been preparing to elevate Mettenberger for some time:

NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported that the rookie signal-caller practiced with the first team Wednesday:

"Anybody worth their salt wants to play, so that is what I am doing, I am pushing the two guys ahead of me and trying to get better," Mettenberger recently said, per Wyatt. "It's about taking advantage of the opportunity I am given. That is what I am waiting on, an opportunity I guess. Eventually, whenever that is, you have to make the most of it."

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The Titans selected Mettenberger in the sixth round of the 2014 draft with the 178th overall pick. In three years playing with the LSU Tigers, he had 5,783 yards, 35 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

As NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano pointed out, this has been a big year for rookie QBs:

Bleacher Report's Cian Fahey isn't optimistic about Mettenberger's chances, however, considering how well Houston's J.J. Watt is playing at the moment:

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Watt is going to break him RT @jwyattsports: QB switch: #Titans plan to start QB Zach Mettenberger against #Texans http://t.co/9AKfyd0zOC

— Cian O'Fathaigh (@Cianaf) October 23, 2014"

This move obviously calls into question the future of Jake Locker. The eighth overall draft pick in 2011 is set to become a free agent following the season after the Titans declined to pick up his option. Injuries have derailed Locker's career in part, but he's never displayed the kind of confidence teams want to see from their No. 1 quarterback.

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ESPN's Bomani Jones felt everybody should've seen Locker's struggles coming:

For the Titans, starting Mettenberger is a low-risk, high-reward proposal. Things can't get much worse from here, with the Titans sitting at 2-5, and maybe Mettenberger can be the future under center.

The timing is also perfect with Tennessee's bye week coming up in Week 9, as the team can give him more time to acclimate to his new role.