NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans had second-string quarterback Matt Cassel running the offense during OTAs recently. But now Cassel, the backup to starter Marcus Mariota, needs surgery to repair an injury he suffered to his right thumb last week.
"[Cassel] will need to have a pin put in it and probably will be out about six weeks," Titans coach Mike Mularkey said. "He should be ready to go for training camp."
With Mariota limited as he continues his return from a broken leg, Mularkey is turning to third-stringer Alex Tanney.
Tanney passed on an offer to join the Cleveland Browns' 53-man roster early last season, accepting a raise to stay on the Titans' practice squad.
"I've had the same approach ever since I've been here. I haven't gotten a lot of reps since I got here; every rep counts and you've got to take advantage of it," Tanney said. "I've had the same approach -- trying to learn everything I can in the classroom and apply it on the field. I've been here on practice squads and been up and down in a couple years.
"I'm preparing like I'm going to play even though I'm not suiting up on Sunday. I have that approach in the offseason and go about it the same way. I've been in quite a few locker rooms. This is my sixth or seventh team. The core that we have here -- the front office and coaching staff is something I want to be a part of because it's headed in a really good direction."
Mariota has been taking all the snaps in 7-on-7 drills, passing work without offensive or defensive linemen.