For the moment, Jake Locker is the first quarterback in line for the Titans.
But even as he opened today’s first minicamp by taking the first snap in individual drills, he’s still far from ready to secure the job as his own after foot surgery.
According to Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean, Locker threw passes and did light jogging during the portion of the work open to the media.
“Overall mobility is my goal right now,” Locker said. “But my goal is to be back quicker than they think I can be and I am going to work as hard as I can to make that possible.”
New coach Ken Whisenhunt brought veteran stable pony Charlie Whitehurst with him to Tennessee after the two worked together with the Chargers last year, and Whisenhunt seemed inclined to give Locker time to get well.
“Any reps we can get [Locker] is something we want to do. We just want to make sure we don’t try to do too much,” Whisenhunt said. “I thought both [Whitehurst and Wilson] both did well. They both made some nice throws.”
Of course, it’s hard to calibrate what the bigger challenge to Locker’s future is. It’s not Whitehurst, but the comeback from a Lisfranc injury and the looming NFL Draft are two big hurdles to overcome.