As Will Levis grapples with an AC joint sprain, the Titans are turning to one of their former backups as an insurance option. Trevor Siemian is back with the team.
Siemian, the Broncos’ initial post-Peyton Manning starter, has become a journeyman in the years since his 2018 Denver exit. One of the former seventh-round pick’s career stops came in Tennessee, with the Titans rostering him as a Ryan Tannehill backup from 2019-20.
Initially adding Siemian during training camp in 2019, the Titans kept him around as a reserve behind Tannehill and Marcus Mariota. Siemian stayed in 2020, as Mariota left for Las Vegas, but ended that season with the Saints. Siemian, 32, has since bounced around in a career that has also overlapped with new Titans HC Brian Callahan. Siemian spent a few months of the 2023 offseason with the Bengals, who ended up cutting him after the preseason last year.
This is a practice squad agreement. The Titans, who traded Malik Willis months after signing Mason Rudolph, have two active-roster QBs: Levis and Rudolph. The latter would start if Levis’ shoulder injury keeps him out. Callahan has insisted Levis remains his starter, despite the second-year QB’s early-season struggles. If Levis is out, however, Siemian would stand to be a gameday elevation for Week 6.
Siemian has made 33 career starts. Three of those came for the Jets last season. The Jets had brought in Siemian on a practice squad deal shortly after Aaron Rodgers‘ Achilles tear. Gang Green took heat for not having a better backup plan than Zach Wilson, but after Wilson returned to action following the third and final benching of his Jets career, a concussion ended his season. Siemian stepped in and finished the year as the team’s starter. He completed just 56.2% of his passes, at only 4.7 yards per attempt, but went 2-1 as a starter.
The Saints also used Siemian as a four-game starter, back in 2021, while the Bears turned to him to close out the 2022 season (to seal the 2023 No. 1 overall pick they then traded). For his career, the Northwestern alum has been with seven teams. This marks his second reunion, as the Jets had also rostered Siemian earlier in his career.
Additionally, the Titans added signed tackle Leroy Watson from their practice squad. Watson, whom the Titans acquired from the Browns this offseason, played under Bill Callahan in Cleveland. Watson has not played this season, failing to make Tennessee’s 53-man roster in August, but TitanInsider.com’s Terry McCormick notes he could split reps with Nicholas Petit-Frere this week at right tackle. Petit-Frere won that post out of training camp and has started all four Titans games, but Pro Football Focus ranks him 59th among tackles this season.
Exhibit A as to why the NFL cannot add expansion teams.
Siemian is, or at least has been, serviceable. He’s a quarterback who is only going to be as good as his playcaller and the team around him. one could make a case that the Titans have the best three man receiving corps in the league, so that should help. If Callahan can call positive plays, Siemian should be able to go out and execute well. I’d stick with Rudolph, at a minimum for a few games, and only move to Siemian if he’s ineffective, but if Siemian does play, he should hopefully be trustworthy enough to just run the offense and not torpedo the team.