This is hardly a hot take coming out of SoBros HQ this morning, but I don’t know that the backup quarterback situation for the Tennessee Titans is what I would necessarily call “good.” In fact, I don’t think it’s really been good (Ryan Tannehill aside, if you count him) since the days of Clipboard Jesus himself, Charlie Whitehurst. The cringe-inducing Matt Cassel came around after Whitehurst. In 2018, Blaine Gabbert broke Titans fans’ hearts when couldn’t get a win with a trip to the postseason on the line in the final game of the season. He didn’t stick around much longer after that. Outside of a few developmental projects that played sparingly, that’s the path that led us to Logan Woodside. But, Woodside hasn’t exactly taken the next step and seized command of the job. With a talented third option on the roster heading into 2021, DeShone Kizer, the backup quarterback race could be interesting to watch this summer.
I can’t say I’m particularly sure of why this Titans regime seems to be so infatuated with Woodside. The guy has been a Titan, off and on on the main roster, since 2018. While prolific during his time in the MAC – two-time first team All-MAC, and the MAC’s MVP in 2017 – he hasn’t blown the doors off over at Baptist Sports Park in three seasons with the team. For all that this regime has wanted to pipe Woodside up as the clear #2, he just hasn’t cashed in on the opportunity. During his three-year tenure with the Titans, Woodside has played in six games. All of those came in 2020. He finished with a stat line of 1/3 for seven yards passing, with 10 rushing yards on seven attempts. That’s right – Woodside has attempted more runs than passes and accumulated more rushing yards than passing yards in his NFL career. I was sold on the idea that he had a firm command of this offense a year ago. I thought 2020 was going to be the step for this guy, but that sure as hell ain’t it.
That’s why I think the hourglass might be running out on the Woodside experiment with a guy as physically gifted as Kizer coming for the spot. Though it was just a bunch of dudes in shirts and shorts, and most of the roster took the day off, Kizer was one of the topics of discussion after last week’s OTAs, with several media members in attendance noting that he out-performed Woodside.
Logan Woodside and DeShone Kizer splitting QB reps with no Tannehill. Liked the way Kizer spun rock today: pic.twitter.com/J40BltT0Uq
— Ben Arthur (@benyarthur) May 27, 2021
A quick peek at @deshonekizer at Thursday’s @Titans OTA. pic.twitter.com/aM8kxNtO8H
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) May 27, 2021
When you look at Kizer’s body of work in the NFL, it’s easy to see why he flamed out in a blaze of glory. He was drafted in the 2nd round by the Cleveland Browns in 2017, and was immediately thrust into a terrible situation as the starting quarterback with Hue Jackson as the head coach. Kizer was pretty damn bad right off the bat, throwing a ton of interceptions (he led the league in interceptions that year, actually), and getting benched for Kevin Hogan. When Hogan proved to be a bust, Kizer was thrown back in again until he was benched yet again in favor of Cody Kessler. I’m not trying to say this as if Kizer is innocent in the matter…because he made some really bad throws, and reports circulated that he was out partying the night before games and stuff like that. It wasn’t a good situation. But, it’s a reminder that not every quarterback takes the league by storm the way guys like Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson did out of that draft class.
He was so bad with the Browns that I think we all lost sight of just how much raw talent the guy had. Sure, he made some really bone-headed decisions, but he’s still so physically gifted that teams kept taking a chance on him. He was traded to the Green Bay Packers, where he played for a season, before landing on the Las Vegas Raiders roster for a hot minute. Ultimately, the Titans brought him in late last season to serve as their emergency covid quarterback. Pretty sure they locked that dude in a room by himself for a month in the event that they needed a guy to play.
Lest we forget, he was touted for his prototypical NFL size and stature, his powerful arm, smooth release, poise in the pocket, dual-threat athleticism, willingness to take a hit to make a play, and his proficiency running the play action. The criticisms? Shocker: his decision-making, along with sloppy mechanics and inconsistent accuracy. But, some analysts had Kizer ranked above Mahomes and Watson in the 2017 draft class. That is laughable as we sit here in June of 2021. But, it’s a testament to just how much Kizer’s physical gifts enticed teams as he entered the league. Those gifts are still there. He still has that sort of potential, and the things that made him terrible as a rookie are things that can be corrected. Not to mention, as I said before, sometimes, it just takes time for guys. Unlike Woodside, Kizer was thrust into the fire – he has the NFL experience in spades, even if it was going 0-16 (technically, 0-15, but you get what I’m saying).
He may be on his last legs in the NFL, but there’s still the faintest glimmer of the talent that made him a highly-graded prospect entering the 2017 NFL Draft. If it all finally comes together for Kizer (in an offense that loves the play action, mind you), he could cement himself as an explosive and viable option behind Tannehill. We saw that potential in shirts and shorts last week, and if we continue to see him improve this summer, he has the opportunity to really push Woodside for that back-up role. DeShone Kizer is going to show us what Logan Woodside is really made of.
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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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