Titans make quarterback move that won't solve their painfully obvious problem

The Tennessee Titans have a backup quarterback problem. That much was evident in Saturday's 29-7 preseason defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Reserve signal-callers Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle combined to throw three interceptions. Boyle, who was responsible for two of those turnovers, was especially abysmal.

Boyle completed 4-of-13 passes for 24 yards and a pick-six. His quarterback rating was an unheard of 0.6. Right now, Allen appears to be QB2 behind rookie Cam Ward, but the backup spot needed some churning.

That's precisely what general manager Mike Borgonzi did on Monday. The Titans have signed veteran quarterback Trevor Siemian, the team confirmed via their official channels. In a corresponding move, Boyle was released. Siemian is an upgrade on Boyle, but the issue remains at backup quarterback.

Titans make QB move that doesn't solve their problem behind Cam Ward

Signing Siemian represents a reunion between team and player. Siemian played for the Titans in 2020 and again in 2024. Previous general manager Ran Carthon signed him to the practice squad last season when Will Levis was dealing with an injury.

Siemian didn't appear in any contests for the Titans last season. He last played in an NFL regular-season game for the New York Jets in 2023. The former seventh-round draft selection made five total appearances that year, throwing more interceptions (four) than touchdowns (two) in three starts.

Allen remains the favorite to be Ward's backup on the 53-man roster. If the Titans carry three quarterbacks, Siemian is a better choice than Boyle, but the underlying issue remains. The rebuilding Titans are understandably all-in on developing Ward this season, and the campaign would be wasted if he's not playing.

Ultimately though, the Titans had a backup quarterback problem before signing Siemian, and the position remains a glaring hole even after his signing.

Tennessee Titans No. 1 draft pick Cameron Ward got his first live reps last Saturday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tennessee’s preseason opener at Raymond James Stadium. An ESPN analyst made a notable comparison after watching the game, pointing to Ward’s nontraditional playing style and poise as a first-year signal-caller.

ESPN’s Marcus Spears, a 2005 first-round draft pick who played professionally for nine seasons, weighed in on Ward’s small sample of plays during Monday’s edition of “NFL Live“.

“I saw a little bit of Jordan Love in Cam Ward,” Spears said. “I saw a little bit of that ability to throw the ball kind of unorthodox; the mechanics aren’t necessarily perfect, but you can see the talent. The most important thing I saw in this game, and what I look for in rookies in preseason, is poise.”

Ward only participated in two offensive drives Saturday night, finishing the long-anticipated debut with a touchdown after going three-and-out on his opening possession.

“I didn’t see him really panic at all during this game. You don’t know going into your first NFL game what the speed is going to be like; you don’t have an idea of what the defenses are going to do … it never seemed like he was out of sorts.”