Could Titans have a QB competition?

Matt Hasselbeck finished a solid season for the Tennessee Titans, his best statistically since 2007, but the veteran may have to fend off first-round pick Jake Locker at some point fairly soon.

Titans coach Mike Munchak said he wasn't ready to discuss next season at the quarterback position just yet, so soon after the Titans ended the 2011 season. However, he did say there will be some semblance of a quarterback competition in camp next summer, though it appears Hasselbeck will obviously enter with the upper hand.

“It wouldn’t be fair to not tell Jake Locker that he had an opportunity to play next year, and that he was going to sit for another season,” Munchak said. “I don’t think that Matt would want to hear that either. I think Matt would want to know he is the best player to play right now for the team whether it be next year.

“I think they are both competitive in that way. I think it will be obvious when the time comes just like it was this past year that Matt was the guy that was most ready to help us win. I think it will be the same decision that we will make next year that it will be an obvious decision to us who should start. “
Obviously, that decision won't have to be made for a long time, Munchak said.

“I hope it’s always going to be a competition, they should always be competing. They competed this year I felt and when we get back and start work, OTA’s can’t be until June, so it’s a long time until we have to worry about that,” Munchak said. “But I would think that in June they are going to assume that they are going to come out and compete and always the best guy should play.”

Hasselbeck finished the season completing 319 of 518 passes for 3,571 yards passing and had 18 touchdowns to 14 interceptions and a passer rating of 82.4. But he will be 37 next season, and the Titans spent a first-round pick on Locker, who performed well in spot duty as a backup with four touchdown passes and no in interceptions. He completed 34 of 66 throws for 542 yards.