Three years after the Titans used the eighth overall pick in the NFL draft on quarterback Jake Locker, it’s still not clear whether he is their quarterback of the future.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that at one least one high-level Titans official has expressed major reservations about whether Locker can succeed in the NFL.
We don’t know much about the direction the Titans are heading in until we know the identity of the Titans’ next head coach, but if the front office isn’t sold on Locker, that may mean the Titans will be open to bringing in a coach who will in turn want them to select a new quarterback with the 11th overall pick in the draft. That differs from the situation in places like Washington, where Jay Gruden knows the identity of his quarterback in Robert Griffin III, and Detroit, where the new head coach will be handed a quarterback in Matthew Stafford whose contract effectively guarantees him the starting job for years to come.
Locker played fairly well in the games he played this season, completing 60.7 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and four interceptions. But injuries, which were a major concern about Locker heading into the 2011 draft, have plagued Locker in his NFL career. tHe has missed 14 games in the last two years with shoulder, hip and foot injuries.