Vince Young will officially be released by the Tennessee Titans on Thursday, the first day players can be placed on waivers for the new league year, TitanInsider has learned.
The Titans had hoped to find a taker for Young in the abbreviated trade market after the lockout, but, according to sources, have found no teams willing to offer them anything in return for Young. The troubled quarterback wore out his welcome in Tennessee after a locker room meltdown last season after a loss to Washington.
Former coach Jeff Fisher persuaded owner Bud Adams to rid the team of Young and new coach Mike Munchak reiterated that Young would not return, even after Fisher departed in February.
Young is due a $4.25 million roster bonus and has a salary of more than $8 million due this season. But had a team been willing to take Young in a trade, it could have negotiated those numbers down in order to broker a deal.
Instead, Young will become a free agent and end a stormy five-year run after being the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.
Among the teams who may be believed to have interest in Young are the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins and perhaps the Philadelphia Eagles, if they deal backup Kevin Kolb in a trade.
The Titans have signed Matt Hasselbeck to be their veteran quarterback and drafted Jake Locker in the first round to be the quarterback of the future.
Young had his highs and lows with the Titans, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2006 and playing in two Pro Bowls. However, his refusal to re-enter a game against Jacksonville in 2008 was the beginning of a downfall. After injuring his knee moments after leaving that game, the following day, he skipped a scheduled MRI and police had to find him when he went missing.
Young was benched for the rest of that season, but reinstalled at Adams' urging after an 0-6 start in 2009. He showed improvements, but problems surfaced again when he missed meetings before a start in Pittsburgh and finally melted down after a thumb injury against Washington in which he swore at Fisher in the locker room before bolting.
- Terry McCormick
- co-publiser of TitanInsider - Lions247