Maybe two quarterbacks will be better than one?
Titans starting quarterback Marcus Mariota is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans after suffering a right elbow injury in Tennessee’s Week 1 loss to the Miami Dolphins. He’ll continue to be evaluated in the coming days, but Titans coach Mike Vrabel suggested Friday that both Mariota and backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert could play in Week 2.
“We are evaluating,” Vrabel told reporters after Friday’s practice, per the Titans’ official website. “We anticipate both of those guys playing in the game, OK? We are going to have to do a lot of things to win this football game, and I would anticipate both of those guys playing at some point and time.
“Marcus is going to do everything he can to get ready, like every player is going to do everything they can to get ready for the game on Sunday.”
This would be a rather unusual strategy by the Titans, who fell to the Dolphins 27-20 in their season opener. If Mariota is healthy enough to play, it’s hard to figure out how — or why — Vrabel would incorporate Gabbert into the game plan. And it’s also fair to wonder whether the Titans should use Mariota at all if Gabbert receives most of the snaps, especially since Tennessee will be without both of its starting tackles — Taylor Lewan (concussion) and Jack Conklin (knee) — in Week 2.
Mariota, who suffered the injury on a hit by Dolphins defensive lineman William Hayes, was a full participant in practice Wednesday but was limited both Thursday and Friday.
“I would say it’s about status quo,” Vrabel said of Mariota’s status Friday. “I think it’s probably about stagnant as far as improvement. It kind of is what it is.”
