The Tennessee Titans have dumped a quarterback.
The team on Monday waived backup Zach Mettenberger, their sixth-round draft pick from 2014.
After playing second fiddle to Marcus Mariota last season, Mettenberger was whispered about as a candidate for release after the Titans signed veteran Matt Cassel to a one-year deal in March. Those whispers have turned into truth.
It marks a swift free fall for quarterback once seen by the organization as "a poor man's Tom Brady." Mettenberger, though, was chosen by Tennessee's former general manager and coach -- the new regime saw something less majestic. Sporting an 0-10 record in spot starts over two seasons, the former LSU star quickly became an afterthought once Mariota was taken with the No. 2 overall pick in 2015.
Mettenberger, 24, sports a big arm and prototypical size -- he's 6-foot-5 and 224 pounds -- but he was comprehensively inconsistent in his second season. Throwing for just 5.6 yards per attempt in four starts last year, Mettenberger turned the ball over in big spots before he was essentially yanked in Week 17 for Alex Tanney.
Here's where we remind you that Cassel isn't about to save the day, either, if Mariota again succumbs to injury. The aging veteran was a disaster in Dallas last season and offers little inspiration at this stage in his career. As for Mettenberger, he's bound to find another job before long.
