NASHVILLE – It seems like everybody has a different opinion about what the Tennessee Titans should do at quarterback in 2025.

Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, an established veteran, a reclamation project, even bringing back Will Levis. I’ve really heard it all.

The Titans have options, which is a good thing. But one quarterback option that has become an NFL trend over the last few years may be less possible than some fans want to believe.

Reclamation project QBs are in right now. Quarterbacks that once showed promise, but flamed out in their first stop. When given another opportunity with a well-run organization and better coaching, they have thrived and become winning franchise quarterbacks. Geno Smith in Seattle. Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay. Jared Goff in Detroit. Sam Darnold in Minnesota just this year. There is evidence to support this can work, and it has led some Tennessee Titans fans to believe that it is the best route in 2025.

Justin Fields, Daniel Jones, Zach Wilson, Jameis Winston…These are the hottest names for reclamation project QBs right now, but NFL analyst Benjamin Solak recently exposed why this common NFL strategy would fail for the 2025 Tennessee Titans.

Solak wrote the following to explain why Tennessee was in his tier of teams that "do not qualify as a turnaround home" for a veteran QB:

Calvin Ridley comes in below my bar of "elite enough wide receiver to save a floundering quarterback," and the Titans will either draft a quarterback first overall (putting ridiculous pressure on a veteran QB1 to hold the starting job) or pass on a quarterback with the top pick (putting ridiculous pressure on a veteran QB1 to make that decision not look terrible). The Titans changed general managers in 2023, head coaches in 2024 and general managers again in 2025. I'd let them figure things out before I hitched my wagon there.

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I have to admit, I agree wholeheartedly with Solak's evaluation of the Titans. I'd remove Sam Darnold from the conversation because I believe he is above the other quarterbacks in this tier. I think Darnold could have a lot of success with the Titans, but I still think the logic is sound when it comes to these other turnaround candidates.

If Tennessee were to bring in Justin Fields, Zach Wilson, or Daniel Jones this offseason, I have zero faith that it would be a succesful experiment. The roster construction is simply not up to par yet.

Tennessee does not have a good offensive line  Tennessee's receiving corps is depleted and without a true WR1. The head coach does not have any long-term security. These are all things that Darnold had in Minnesota, Geno Smith had in Seattle, and Baker Mayfield had in Tampa Bay. 

On top of all of that, the pressure to be the QB1 for a team that could very well draft a quarterback with the No. 1 overall is crazy. As Solak pointed out, there is also pressure to be the QB1 of a team that passes up an opportunity to draft a quarterback No. 1. Expectations are going to be high, and I'm not sure Fields, Wilson, Jones, or Winston need to be walking into a situation with high expectations at this stage of their NFL careers.

The Titans still have plenty of options, but a reclamation project QB should eb crossed off the list for 2025.

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