Even though they missed out on Peyton Manning, the Titans are still solid at quarterback with Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Locker in the fold.
While their efforts to pursue defensive help may have been hampered, the Titans should have minimal repair work, if any, to do with their incumbent quarterbacks. Hasselbeck told TitanInsider on Thursday that he was “comfortable” with however the pursuit of Manning went.
"It's out of my control,” Hasselbeck said. “I've talked to pretty much everybody over there. I've talked to Munch (Mike Munchak) and Mike Reinfeldt and Ruston Webster, Chris Palmer, and really everybody over there. The one person I haven't talked to is Bud Adams.
“We've talked and they've been great from day one since I've been here and just being up front with me from the get-go. They always have been, whether it was when I was deciding to come here last year or with Jake (Locker). I just know what they've told me and I'm very, very comfortable with that. I guess I'll keep the conversations we've had between us, and it's been good. I talked to Munch and I'm comfortable.”
Not getting Manning also means that Locker, last year’s first-round draft choice will have, as originally planned, a chance to compete with Hasselbeck for the Titans starting job. It’s an opportunity Locker relishes.
“I’m just looking forward to continuing to learn from Matt and having an opportunity to compete for a job,” Locker told TitanInsider.
Titans owner Bud Adams issued a statement on the matter and mentioned both quarterbacks.
“I want to thank the whole organization for their efforts in trying to sign Peyton and also to Peyton for the time he put into the process. Peyton called me this morning to inform me of his decision and obviously I am disappointed, because I thought we would be a perfect fit," Adams said. "Now that we move forward, I want our fans to know that our expectations haven’t changed – winning a championship is still the goal. I like our quarterback situation moving forward and we will continue to build the team through free agency and the draft with that goal in mind.
"I also want to commend Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Locker. They were thrown into a very difficult situation. Matt was very good for us last year; and at some point, we expect Jake to be our future franchise quarterback.”
- Terry McCormick
- co-publiser of TitanInsider - Lions247