The San Diego Chargers claimed QB Zach Mettenberger off waivers on Tuesday, bringing the 6-5, 224-pound former Tennessee Titan into the fold. To make room, the team waived QB Bryn Renner.
Mettenberger completed 208 of 345 attempts (60.3%) for 2,347 yards, 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 14 games with 10 starts over his first two seasons. He appeared in seven games his rookie year with six starts, throwing for 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns. His 83.4 passer rating ranked second among all rookie QBs to start at least one game in 2014, trailing only Minnesota's Teddy Bridgewater (85.2).
The Titans traded up to select Mettenberger 178th overall out of Louisiana State in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He went 19-6 as a starter and became the first quarterback in school history to record back-to-back 2,500-yard seasons. Mettenberger completed 192 of 296 passes for 3,082 yards and 22 touchdowns and just eight interceptions as a senior, ranking second in the SEC in pass efficiency. One of his teammates at LSU was Philip Rivers' younger brother, Stephen.
Mettenberger will be surrounded by familiar faces on the Chargers coaching staff. Offensive Coordinator Ken Whisenhunt served as Tennessee's head coach during his tenure in Nashville while Tight Ends Coach John McNulty was his quarterbacks coach.
