Kerry Collins Tells Titans: Start Me or I'm Out of Here

Posted Jan 12, 2009 10:35PM By JJ Cooper (RSS feed)

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Kerry Collins got the Titans offseason going quickly by announcing on Monday that he wants to come back to the Titans next season, but he won't do it unless he's assured he won't be backing up Vince Young.

And since Jeff Fisher likes winning, he's inclined to give Collins his wish. Collins holds a few key cards -- he is a free agent and since he just led the Titans to the best record in the AFC, he's made a pretty strong case that the Titans need him, and there's no real reason to make him back up a quarterback who he's outplayed.

"Certainly getting Kerry back is important to us,'' Fisher said. "Kerry has one or two options in my opinion: He starts, and hopefully that is for us, or he is on his tractor, on his farm. Kerry has no interest in backing up. He wants to start, and rightfully so. He has been adamant about that and he has the right to say that. We have a lot of time and we'll work things out.''

Young has shown nothing since losing his job to Collins that indicates he's made significant strides to retaking the job. In fact, this weekend Peter King became the latest to notice Young's awful body language (something first noticed by our own Stephanie Stradley last year). As King pointed out, it's hard to make productive use of your time on the bench if you don't even talk to the other quarterbacks.

Fisher said the Titans also want to bring back Chris Simms, which would seem to be a very solid Plan B if the Titans did decide to get rid of Young.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

1-12-2009 @ 11:19PM

Adam said...

If the Titans keep the identity they established this year, and maybe get a good receiver next year, I don't think they'll need Collins. They're now a great running team, and with VY back there, they can be even better. I think they can get by with him throwing the ball 15-20 times a game, and running with him, Johnson and White. Collins can take a hike.

1-13-2009 @ 2:52PM

yyz said...

Get rid of Fisher and Collins. Let VY do his thing, who cares if he doesn't suckup to the offensive coordinator or Collins. Please don't bring back Phil Sims either, another suckup. All that talent and Fisher will manage to blow it in the playoffs every time.

1-12-2009 @ 11:33PM

soulcitysigma1914 said...

nobody else wants that racist pathetic loser drunkard who can't hold a starting job.

1-13-2009 @ 9:09PM

Mike F said...

Nobody wants a spoiled brat whiner with an attitude problem that can't win in the NFL as QB either. This ain't the Texas Longhorns pal, and it ain't the NCAA either. As Jerry Glanville once mentioned - NFL stands for Not For Long for some folks - and that might be the case with VY. He will wind up being one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history - like Tony Mandarich, Ryan Leaf, etc. I'll proudly wear my Collins jersey, along with my Keith Bullock and Steve McNair ones too, but no VY for me.

1-13-2009 @ 12:54AM

Mr.G said...

I would not want VY anywhere near my football team.

1-13-2009 @ 1:31AM

A.J. said...

You don't just hand Kerry Collins the starting job no matter how well he did last year. Make Collins compete for it so he doesn't get lazy. If you look at his stats this year, he didn't exactly light it up. Personally, I think if you're the Titans, you let Collins go if it means you can re-sign Albert Haynesworth. The Titans made it to the playoffs with Vince Young under center a couple of seasons ago - of course, sans the extremely strong 1-2 punch they have with Johnson and White. Collins did not have a great season, and the Titans made it to the playoffs mainly on the strength of their running game and defense. As long as Young hasn't forgotten how to hand off a football - or maybe even to run it himself every once in a while, I'd go with him unless you plan on moving him this offseason. Give him one last chance to prove himself.

1-13-2009 @ 7:40AM

jonnymathprof said...

keep kerry collins!! hes done far more for our team than vince young has ever done!! the only reason their considering dumping collins in favor of vince young is so that they dont appear racist by favoring a white man over a black man!!! what crap...even if kerry collins were black and vince young white and all else the same i would still favor collins!!! its racist only if your favoring collins just cause hes white it aint racist if your favoring him cause you think hes more skillful!!!

1-14-2009 @ 6:36PM

Daniel Baker said...

Its just funny how every one keeps talking about vince being a cry baby. First of all when did he cry, Was it when the news paper said he did. O well good job for reading or hearing that because if you watch his interviews they have all been positive. Collins has not done much more for the team than Young. The reason the Titans made the playoffs this year is because they had an amazing defense to take them there. Without that defense they would not have stayed undefeated like they did and would not have had home field advantage. Collins is good im not saying he is not. But all these people keep saying VY has not proven himself. Hmmm. Well if taking a team in your first season from not coming anywhere close to the playoffs to one game away then one year later making it does not prove it the QBs in this leauge are screwed. Vince throws two interceptions and is booed out of his home stadium. Yea maybe he could have handled that a little better. But if two interceptions makes a QB who HAS done good things for this team a bad player then once again the rest of the QBs are screwed. Collins has maybe two good years in him... GOOD not great. Vince needed this time out. to watch and learn. now lets see what he can do. You choose collins over vince you lose a franchise QB. And possibly make future draft choices think that they will have to be perfect to play for the Titans. why, well because Vince was good but still got benched. Like i said before the Tennessee Titan defense is why they got to where they were this season.

1-15-2009 @ 10:06AM

fastnfurious351w said...

does no rememember the LOSING season that collins was leading us too that vince bailed us out of two years ago? kollins is a choke artist. always has been always will be

1-13-2009 @ 7:56AM

Col Bo said...

The only thing Vince Young has proven in Nashville is that he is a spoiled little brat with "no heart." Vince should go back to Austin or Houston and hang out in the bars with his buddies, talking about the way he lead Texas to the national championship a couple of years ago over THE Ohio State University "Choke-eyes." The Titans should look at getting one of the young guns QB that will be coming out of college this year and learn from the Ravens that football is not rocket science.

1-13-2009 @ 3:16PM

DNBUBBA said...

Texas played USC for the National Championship not Ohio State. The QB class in this years draft is crap besides Bradford. Glad you are not GM of this team.

1-13-2009 @ 8:27AM

djCarbon said...

Dude... He beat USC... I was like the only one supporting USC sitting in a bar in Austin watching the better team lose... Football was always a team sport and its no surprise that Vince the one-man-army has a hard time surviving in the team-built, team-centered NFL... Its different with team defenses like the steelers or the ravens staring you down on the other side of the line... WATCH OUT VINCE RAY LEWIS IS STILL PLAYING!!!

1-13-2009 @ 9:09AM

Badsn5 said...

Vince must GO! I was at every home game this year and Kerry Collins had been the best QB we have had since the "good" McNair days. ON the sideline Vince pouts and doesnt talk to the offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger or either Collins or Chris Simms. Simms the 3rd stringer is taking the game more serious then Young.

As for all of you say negative things about Collins past; he has done far more charity work for the Nashville area and South Carolina while a backup QB then Young has done. In fact since arriving Young hasnt done one positive thing off the field.

Did you see his interview on 60 Minutes a couple of years ago? What an arrogant jerk. He definately needs an attitude adjustment. I hope KC stays and gets the starting job. He deserves it hands down - not to mention a nice big fat RAISE!!! I was at all the home games too. Section 124.

1-13-2009 @ 10:02AM

Jim Stevenson said...

Kerry ..... You're in line right behind Rex Grossman !

Surely you jest. I think you mean Vince Young is right behind Grossman........

1-13-2009 @ 12:41PM

rob said...

If the titans let young qb next season it will be another 6 win season with that def and running game you have to have a solid qb to protect the ball

Kerry played awsome and if titans dont resign him and make him the starter then we took another 3 steps back.

1-14-2009 @ 6:39PM

LOL. Watch the games man the Titans would not have gotten has far as they did or get home field if it wasn't for their D or run game. IDK where you get 6 games from VY got the Titans to the playoffs last year and one game from it the year before. But its ok, Just stating facts for you.

1-13-2009 @ 12:59PM

Ole Farmer Jones said...

VY needs to be traded. Pick-up by Dallas. Dump Tony Romo who is another Quicy Carter in turn-overs ratio and convert pass happy Dallas into a running team and continue to build on defense.