4:55pm: Whitehurst’s two-year deal has a $4MM base value, with another $4MM in incentives, tweets Wyatt, adding that $2MM is fully guaranteed. The Titans have confirmed the signing.
4:13pm: The Titans and quarterback Charlie Whitehurst have reached an agreement on a two-year deal, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). According to Wyatt, Whitehurst’s new contract can be worth up to $8MM, and it’s expected to signal the end of Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s time in Tennessee (Twitter link).
Whitehurst, who has been Philip Rivers‘ backup in San Diego for the last two seasons, saw just 12 snaps in two games during the 2013 season, and didn’t attempt a pass. So perhaps the Titans liked what they saw of the 31-year-old during his stints as the starter in Seattle during the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
While Wyatt’s initial report suggests a max value of $8MM, I’d imagine a good chunk of that amount can only be earned through playing-time and performance incentives, and if Jake Locker stays healthy and keeps his job, Whitehurst likely won’t see much action.
As for Fitzpatrick, releasing him would create $3.25MM in cap savings for the Titans, leaving just $875K of his $4.125MM cap number on the books.
Man Charlie Whitehurst is the luckiest individual on earth. Here is a career back-up who has never done anything in his career in the NFL and is still picking up checks!