In the third quarter of their 16-0 loss to the Denver Broncos, the Tennessee Titans swapped out Marcus Mariota for Ryan Tannehill.
Mariota’s performance warranted the benching. For the game, he went 7 for 18 (38.9% completion rate) for 63 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions, good for a 9.5 passer rating. He was also sacked three times for seven yards.
After the game, coach Mike Vrabel broke down how Mariota reacted, saying, via Jim Wyatt of the team's website:
“He took it like a pro. I think that he certainly wasn't happy, any of us weren't happy. When we do, nobody is happy, and we want guys that want to play.”
In place of Mariota, Tannehill went 13 for 16 (81.3% completion rate) for 144 yards, no touchdowns and an interception, equating to a 78.1 passer rating.
Next week, the Titans face the Los Angeles Chargers at home. It's unknown who will be the starter then. However, considering Mariota's poor performance and Vrabel's actions to swap him out for Tannehill, there may be a new starter in Nashville next week.
The Titans traded for Tannehill in the offseason. The No. 8 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft — out of Texas A&M — he started 88 out of 88 games played for the Dolphins. In doing so, he compiled a 42-46 record while passing for 20,434 yards, 123 touchdowns and 80 interceptions on a 62.8% completion rate.
Meanwhile, Mariota, the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, is on the last year of his rookie contract. The Titans may see not view him as the future, and roll with Tannehill to see what they have in him. Or, they benched Mariota due to his poor performance alone and will give him another shot next week.
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