This offseason, the Tennessee Titans traded for Ryan Tannehill to add another arm to the team. Fans and the media alike have wondered what the Titans plans are with Tannehill, with Mike Vrabel clearing the situation up.
In an article for UPI by Alex Butler, Vrabel reiterates that Tannehill is the backup quarterback while Marcus Mariota will start. The Titans head coach commented on what Tannehill will be tasked with as the backup quarterback.
“His job as a backup — everybody's job as a backup — is to push the guy in front of him,” Vrabel said. “To compete and try to make yourself better and try to make the team better and see how everybody responds.”
The Titans are going into a season that is a deciding year for Mariota and Tannehill alike. Neither have consistently shown they could be the long-term solution for the Titans at quarterback. It seems as if Mariota will get a shot to prove to the organization his worth.
Earlier this offseason, the Titans decided to pick up Mariota's fifth-year option on his rookie deal. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did the same thing with Jameis Winston. Both Mariota and Winston are trying to earn long-term deals with their current teams in 2019.
Neither Winston or Mariota has shown the promise of being an absolute franchise quarterback in the NFL. This year, Mariota will need to play at a high-level for the Titans to put their trust in him beyond the 2019 season. If not, Tannehill is lurking behind Mariota, waiting for an opportunity.
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