Jake Locker is officially playing for his future in Tennessee.
As expected, the Titans won't exercise the quarterback's fifth-year option, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday. The team has yet to make an official announcement, but their decision comes as little surprise considering the roughly $14.6 million pricetag Locker would have been owed in 2015. Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean first reported the news.
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Rapoport reported in December that Tennessee didn't plan to pull the trigger, which would have guaranteed Locker's salary in case of injury. Durability, of course, has been a pressing issue for the fourth-year passer after he missed 14 games over the past two seasons.
Coming off foot surgery, Locker still has a chance to win over the front office with just Charlie Whitehurst and Tyler Wilson as his competition. The Titans, though, are a dark horse to draft a passer in next week's draft.
What they do in May will tell us plenty about how new coach Ken Whisenhunt really feels about Locker's chances to evolve into a franchise passer. Of course, bypassing his option already speaks volumes about the pressue this young quarterback is under in Nashville.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" breaks out the crystal ball and predicts the potential surprises that could shake up the NFL Draft.
