Coming off a ten-win season and a playoff berth, the Tennessee Titans entered the 2008 season with understandably high hopes. Their defense was ferocious, their running game had just become two-tiered with the addition of the speedy Chris Johnson, and they had Vince Young, a young talent, at quarterback.

But after Young fell to a short-term injury in week one, subsequently escalated by his emotional instability, the Titans were forced to turn to their plan B. Namely, Kerry Collins.

Like Vince, Kerry was a former top-five pick in the draft. After failing to live up to lofty expectations in Carolina, Collins went through stints with the New York Giants and Oakland Raiders before ending up in Tennessee. During that time, he had highs, including a trip to Super Bowl XXXV with the Giants, and lows, including a public battle with alcoholism early in his career. With his unremarkable career close to an end, few expected him to be the leader of a team in contention for a title.

Yet that is what happened. Collins started each game following Young's injury in week one, even after the injury healed. And although he never posted spectacular numbers, his leadership and knack for avoiding bad turnovers helped the Titans secure thirteen wins and the top seed in the AFC.

Even after Tennessee lost their first and only playoff game, Kerry Collins' comeback season was a good story. He kept a team that could have sank into the dweller of the NFL atop the league for most of the year.

With all that said, however, it would be a mistake for the Titans to bring the aging passer back for another season as starter. Early reports have indicated that head coach Jeff Fisher is willing to promise Collins the nod as first-string quarterback for the 2009 season. That would be a colossal mistake, if true. As good as the team's record was, it is hard to overlook the lack of production from the passing game for Tennessee.

Collins was only allowed to attempt 414 passes last year. To put that into perspective, that means he passed the ball over two-hundred times less than league leader Drew Brees. Collins also ranked among the bottom of the league in touchdowns thrown. Based on the numbers alone, it is clear that Fisher and the Titans don't trust Kerry enough to put the game in his hands. They are, essentially, relying on him to manage the game, to cut down on turnovers and make one or two big passes a game.

That is a fine plan when something unexpected like a week one injury to a starter happens. But to go into a new season with that plan seems foolish. The Titans crushing loss in the playoffs happened because their opponent, the Baltimore Ravens, zoned in on their running game and forced Collins to beat them through the air. Unable to muster any points out of a passing strategy, the team was only able to post ten points.

To resign Collins and put him into the spotlight would be to say he is a quarterback who can lead his team to the Super Bowl. And to believe that, the Titans would have to be foolish. Unlike Kurt Warner, who led the Arizona Cardinals to the Super Bowl, Kerry Collins has never been an elite passer and at times hasn't even been a good one. He is no more the answer to the future than Vince Young is. And if Tennessee was wise, they would stop trying to pretend otherwise and move on. The team's success in 2008 was a great story, but now it is as good as ancient history. Just like Kerry Collins career as the starter for the Tennessee Titans should be.