The Tennessee Titans officially have their new man in charge as the team announced Ken Whisenhunt would take over after Mike Munchak was fired. The coach is considered to be a strong offensive mind who will have his hands full with the inconsistent unit of the Titans. With a new head coach comes questions regarding personnel and Jake Locker and Chris Johnson are the first to find out their fate.
During his introductory press conference, Whisenhunt remained coy on the team's future regarding their quarterback situation and other pending free agents. The head coach told media he has yet to evaluate any of the players, including the quarterback position. He praised the quarterback with what he saw during his college years, but has not watched much of him in the NFL so far these past few years.
Much has been made about Locker's future with the team after the quarterback got hurt midway through the year. He has been inconsistent at best. Bringing Whisenhunt in could help his future considering what the coach has done with both Kurt Warner and Philip Rivers, but it remains to be seen.
"I think that's something that we'll get a chance to see over the next couple of months," Whisenhunt said, via NFL.com. "Health would be the first thing, obviously. But I don't know really much about him. I'll get a chance over the next couple of months to sit down. We can talk about football (and) see his passion level for the game, where he is as a student of the game. And then we'll get a chance on the field to see some things, so that's all part of the process."
Locker is certainly acting like he will be back in Tennessee come 2014. The quarterback told TitanInsider.com that he certainly looks forward to his time with the head coach. Locker is entering the final year of his four-year rookie contract and the Titans have until May 3 to decide whether or not to pick up a $13 million fifth-year option.
"[I'm] excited about the hire and looking forward to working with Coach Whisenhunt. He has always had very successful offenses and I look forward to learning from him," Locker said.
While Locker could return, the outlook for running back Johnson is extremely grim. ESPN.com reports the Titans are not expected to retain the veteran after he made comments ripping the offensive system and his limited touches during the season. Johnson said there is no reason he should be standing on the sidelines during critical players for the team and he was requesting a trade or release so he could go to a more run-first offense.
Whisenhunt side-stepped any questions regarding Johnson's status with the team. He noted that the team would look over Johnson's situation over the next few months, noting that several things would be a factor regarding the running back.
