Like the division-rival Texans, the Titans are cycling through quarterbacks as injuries pile up, and have added a veteran free agent to the mix, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who reports that Jordan Palmer is signing with the club. To accommodate the new addition to the 53-man roster, Tennessee is moving Jake Locker to the injured reserve list, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
Palmer, the younger brother of Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, spent last season with the Bears as the No. 3 QB, behind Jay Cutler and Josh McCown, but was cut by the team during the 2014 preseason. The 30-year-old Palmer has also spent time with the Bengals and the Jaguars, and had a brief stint with the Bills prior to the regular season. He has logged just 15 pass attempts in his career.
The other half of the quarterback shake-up is perhaps of greater interest to Titans fans — with Locker heading to the IR list, his season is officially over, and his career in Tennessee appears to be coming to an end as well. The former first-round pick is eligible for unrestricted free agency in March, and new head coach Ken Whisenhunt hasn’t shown much interest in keeping or developing the 26-year-old. Locker likely won’t draw much interest in the offseason as a starter after a subpar, injury-plagued 2014 season. But in the right situation, he could become a solid backup with upside.
With Zach Mettenberger also sidelined, Charlie Whitehurst looks like the probable starter for the Titans’ Thursday night game against Jacksonville.