San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt has always spoken highly of quarterback Zach Mettenberger. When he was with the Tennessee Titans, he expressed his beliefs in the Tennessee Titans’ 2014 6th-round pick’s ability to be a starter in the NFL one day.
At 6’5″, 230 pounds, with a big arm, he did show some things in spots for the Titans as a rookie. But Marcus Mariota was drafted in the first round in 2015, making the starting gig out of reach. And he actually regressed in part because the system was made to fit Mariota more.
That would lead to the Titans cutting him Monday and Tuesday, Whisenhunt has is man again. When I say his man, I mean his man behind his main man, Philip Rivers. So I guess Whisenhunt still believes that Mettenberger still has a chance to develop into a starter.
If he really can do such a thing, he’s in the perfect place to do it. Future Hall of Fame quarterback Philip Rivers as a few more good years left in him to show Mettenberger the way. So instead of to drafting a quarterback and starting all over when Rivers is done, Mettenberger could step right in.
What he’ll have to work on the most is speeding up his release and process what he sees sooner. He’s not the most mobile quarterback in the world so he will have to get rid of the ball quickly to succeed in the NFL. Being accurate more consistently will be a big help to him as well.
We’ll see about all that but at the very least, the Chargers have a backup quarterback that knows Whisenhunt’s system.