Chargers Pick Up Backup QB Mettenberger

The Bolts added  Zach Mettenberger off waivers Tuesday to help back up Philip Rivers, a day after the 6' 5" quarterback parted ways with the Tennessee Titans.

The move reunites the 24-year-old Mettenberger with his former head coach in Tennessee, Ken Whisenhunt, who is now in his second stint as the Boltsโ€™ offensive coordinator.

Mettenberger was originally picked by the Titans out of LSU in the sixth round of the 2014 draft.

He started 10 games with Tennessee but went 0-10 at the helm.

Before that, Mettenberger was a backup to former Titans starter Jake Locker and last season again served as the #2 option behind rookie Marcus Mariota.

In his NFL career, Mettenberger has thrown 12 career touchdowns and 14 interceptions with a quarterback rating of 66.7.

Whisenhunt clearly sees attributes that he likes in the young thrower and feels he can still help make him a better NFL player.

Mettenberger fits the Chargers profile for a quarterback โ€“ a tall, strong armed athlete that prefers to stay in the pocket and sling the ball around the field.

If youโ€™re thinking Mettenberger could be a possible replacement for Philip Rivers, you shouldnโ€™t be very concerned.

Mettenberger is more of a developmental prospect who can benefit from learning from a veteran like Rivers.

Rivers signed a 4-year, $84 million contract extension last year and has stated that he hopes to still be the starting quarterback when the Chargers open up their next stadium. 

Rivers has not missed a regular season start with San Diego (a franchise-record 160 starts in a row) since taking over under center in 2006. He has also started 9 playoff games for the Bolts.

The Chargers now have 4 quarterbacks on the roster: Rivers, Mettenberger, Kellen Clemens, and undrafted rookie Mike Bercovici from Arizona State.

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