What’s next for Tennessee Titans after end of Marcus Mariota era?
Where do the Tennessee Titans go from here after the end of the Marcus Mariota era occurred in Week 6?
The Tennessee Titans saw the end of the Marcus Mariota era on Sunday in Denver, so where does the franchise go from here?
In the immediate future, the Titans will roll with Ryan Tannehill at quarterback for the rest of the season. The only way we see Mariota play moving forward is if Tannehill suffers an injury, or if he plays even worse than Mariota has at times this season. The former is much more likely.
Tannehill was a definite improvement over Mariota when he was put into the game in Week 6 and the team needs to see if he provides any kind of boost moving forward. The Titans currently sit at 2-4, and while the team is at rock bottom right now, the season isn’t officially lost just yet.
Sure, some people will call for this team to tank in order to get a better draft pick, but this defense is simply too good and there are too many games left to give up yet. Not to mention, you have a head coach in Mike Vrabel who could be fighting for his job for the remainder of 2019.
Regardless of where this season goes in the next 10 games, the Titans will be in the market for a quarterback in 2020 and may have to venture into the unsure waters of the 2020 NFL Draft. Even if Tannehill works out, he’ll be a free agent after this season.
Granted, there will be some talented quarterbacks coming out next year, but it remains to be seen if the Titans will have a high enough pick to nab any of them. And, as we found out with Mariota, nothing is certain even if you do select a quarterback with a high pick.
Most importantly, the Titans need to make sure they have the right people in place to make such a decision. It’s one thing to draft the right quarterback, but it’s another thing to put the pieces in place around him to help him succeed.
We found that our firsthand with Marcus Mariota. As much as people want to lay blame at his feet, the Titans failed Mariota more than he failed them. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Mariota have success once he leaves in free agency in 2020.
This franchise simply cannot afford to get it wrong again in any regard if it is going to take a quarterback in next year’s draft.
The fan base rightfully won’t have the patience for it, and the window will slam shut sooner rather than later on what is an incredibly talented defense that just needs a semi-competent offense to support it.
On top of taking a young quarterback in next year’s draft, I’d also expect to see the Titans sign a veteran signal-caller who can contribute right away, because despite its issues, this is a team that can win now if for no other reason than how good the defense is.
Tannehill will certainly have a chance to be that guy if all goes well during his 10-game audition.
No matter what the Titans end up doing behind center, it’s back to the drawing board for this franchise.