Can we start by acknowledging how absurd this conversation is? I know, I know. I’m well aware of that, and that some people are just going to read the headline, roll their eyes, and keep scrolling. It might sound like some generic top 10 list that virtually every website is running this time of year. There’s nothing else to write about, so we just start ranking shit, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. We are the journalists and you will consume what we give you! That type of fuckery, y’know? But, when I first approached my co-host on The Unofficial Titans Podcast, Outspoken Owen Reed, about doing this list on a recent episode of the show, I sat there after a declarative “hmm…” It was actually kind of interesting to think about. With the Tennessee Titans and their history at the quarterback position, things dip off big time after the first two. By the time we get to #9 and #10, it’s downright comical. But, hey – this is #OffseasonContent, baby! We’re in the prime of it now. Minicamp has concluded and we have a quantifiable “way’s to go” before we get to start talking about meaningful football anyway. So, I say “fuck it” – there’s no better time than to try and answer the question of who the top 10 quarterbacks are in Titans history. Also, yeah – in case I wasn’t clear enough, this is -just- Titans history.
The Top 10 Quarterbacks in Tennessee Titans History
1. Steve McNair – I mean….right? This is the easiest call of any call I’ve ever made while writing this blog. This isn’t so different from saying the sun is the best sun in our solar system. Not only is McNair the greatest quarterback in Titans history, but he’s arguably the greatest Titan of all time (personally, I think it’s either him or Eddie George). We get here for a myriad of reasons – McNair was beloved by Nashville for his toughness and the way he willed the Titans to victory, at times it felt, through sheer will. His 27,141 passing yards and 156 touchdowns are both first in Titans history. He’s the only Titan to win League MVP. And, he helped get the team to its only Super Bowl. This one’s a no-brainer.
2. Ryan Tannehill – Some might say it’s two early to put Tannehill, but I’d say that it’s more of an indictment of the Titans quarterback issues than it is an overeager assessment of Tannehill’s time in Tennessee. That said, even with a small sample size, Tannehill has done quite a bit for the Titan, guiding the team to the AFC Championship in 2019, winning the AFC South in 2020, and earning Comeback Player of the Year in 2019. He is already 5th in Titans history in passing yards and 3rd in touchdowns. His 67.3% completion percentage and 110.6 passer rating are 1st in Titans history. I don’t think it’s too early at all to put Tannehill in this spot.
3. Marcus Mariota – Definitely the most divisive quarterback in Titans history – most fans either love or hate Mariota. I’m willing to acknowledge that he had his shortcomings, and it was obviously in the best interest of the franchise to go ahead and move on from him (hindsight proves this), but I’m not going to call the dude a bust either. Mariota absolutely had some good times here in Nashville, and at times, he looked like he was well on his way to becoming one of the most electrifying quarterbacks in the league. He’ll always be remembered for throwing that touchdown to himself in the playoffs, but he had some quality signature moments with the Titans that I don’t think he gets enough credit for. He is 2nd in Titans history across the board – passing yards, touchdowns, completion percentage, and passer rating. I wish Titans fans would admit that multiple things can be true – it was time to move on from Mariota, but he’s still easily one of the best quarterbacks Nashville has seen.
4. Vince Young – I’m tempted to just type ‘see Mariota, but with shorter longevity,‘ but that’s just shoddy journalism and you guys know we never do that here on SoBros Network…Young was a fascinating player, and not always for the best of reasons. But, even if he did –supposedly– go blow $25,000 USD at the TGI Friday’s off West End, no one can deny that for a brief period of time, he was the type of player that made you hold your breath every time he touched the ball. He won ‘Offensive Rookie of the Year’ in 2006 – sometimes, I still play that overtime run against the Houston Texans back (*chills*).
5. Kerry Collins – I don’t care if he was old enough to draw his social security by the time he signed with the Titans, Collins had a damn good run with the team, and played quarterback for one of the two best Titans teams since the Steve-and-Eddie era. He stabilized the position when Vince Young struggled with injury, and helped make the Titans a bona fide Super Bowl contender in 2008.
6. Matt Hasselbeck – Sure, Hasselbeck had to come in and clean up a lot of the Jake Locker mess and he was never really expected to be what he ended up being for the Titans, but he did a damn admirable job in keeping this Titans offense from completely bottoming out in 2011-12. I dare say he may be the most under-appreciated quarterback on this list.
7. Jake Locker – People have given me shit about my infatuation with Jake Locker since I wrote that I genuinely think he had elite NFL potential back in the day and I’ve refused to back down from that stance. I never will. I will go to my grave believing that if he had come along at a different time with a better support system in place, he wouldn’t be as widely viewed as a bust as he is. He’s one of the greatest ‘what could’ve been’ situations in Titans history, in my opinion. But, that’s an entirely different can of worms I don’t intend to open in a short paragraph. You might not realize it, but Locker is 6th in Titans history in passing yards (4,967) and touchdowns (27).
8. Billy Volek – If “the grass is always greener” was a person…I can distinctly remember a certain sect of Titans fans clamoring for Volek to get a real crack at the starting job, and hoping the Titans wouldn’t draft Vince Young. He’s the most beloved backup quarterback in Titans history.
9. Neil O’Donnell – Maybe I’ve just lost all memory of Neil O’Donnell, but #9 seems way too low compared to where Owen had him on his list. I get the impression that a lot of Titans fans would probably have O’Donnell a lot higher on this list, too. Fuck – maybe I need to go back and watch some Neil O’Donnell in the two-tone blue. He’s 9th in passing yards and touchdowns, 10th in completion percentage, and 8th in passer rating in Titans history. I thought #9 felt like a pretty solid spot for him.
10. Charlie Whitehurst – I ultimately went with Whitehurst here over Ryan Fitzpatrick because Fitzpatrick was only in town for one season. He only threw for 1,326 yards as a Titan, but believe it or not, his 87.4 career passer rating is 3rd in Titans history. He just about felt like Billy Volek 2.0 the way he rocked that clipboard, and while he was less talented and accomplished than Volek, he definitely edged him out in sex appeal. That’s got to count for something, right?
Again, Outspoken Owen Reed and I tackled this topic on a recent episode of The Unofficial Titans Podcast – to get Owen’s list, and to hear our discussion on the matter, click play on the pod below:
Listen to “Ep. 63: The Top 10 Quarterbacks in Titans History” on Spreaker.Don’t forget to check out our friends at MANSCAPED, who just launched the new Refined Cologne. Get 20% off your entire order and free shipping with the promo code ‘SOBROSTITANS’ at checkout.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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