Young's Contract Means He's Most Likely Gone in 2010

At their best, reporters manage to break through the smokescreens that teams try to throw around their actual intentions. Paul Kuharsky has been able to do just that with the Titans by spelling out the details of Vince Young's contract. Once you see the contract, it's clear that there is almost no chance that Young will be back in Tennessee in 2010, no matter what the Titans say about him being the team's QB of the future.

Young carries only a $4.62 million cap figure in 2009, and the Titans would take a $2.76 million cap hit because of bonus acceleration, if they waived him this year. But thanks to his base salary jumping by $5 million next year, plus a $4.25 million roster bonus, Young's cap number climbs to $14.21 million next year, which means the Titans would save more than $9 million on their cap (if there is a cap) by cutting Young.

In other words, Young's current contract was always devised to be renegotiated before the 2010 season. If he had played up to his and the Titans' expectations, that would be no problem -- Tennessee would renegotiate the deal, Young would get a nice large signing bonus and both sides would be happy.

But with Young sitting on the bench battling for the No. 2 job with recently signed Patrick Ramsey, somehow Young has to not only earn back the starting job, but also play well enough to reassure the Titans to sign him to a new massive long-term deal. And that just doesn't seem all that likely.

So in 2010, expect to see Young hit the free-agent market, and expect to see some other team try to turn his career around.