Commentary: Young's push to play clearly inbounds

Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young caused a bit of stir with his comments [1] to a Baltimore television station, WMAR-TV earlier this week.

Young basically said he considers himself ready to play, wants to compete for the starting job, and says if Titans management and players don’t have the needed confidence in him, then they should let him play elsewhere.

While some might construe Young’s comments as self-serving and self-centered, I for one think it’s a step in the right direction for the quarterback who put a self-imposed exile on his 2008 season.

Asked about his situation, Young told the station, “I’m still focused, staying focused. I’ve got a lot of people that look up to me. I’ve got a fans that love me and want to see me back out on the football field. Right now, I’m just taking it a day at a time, being very competitive, competing for the job and just let Coach Fish[er] make his own decision.

“Definitely I want to be in there playing ball and picking up where I left off, winning games and having a good time with my teammates and fans. But at the same time if them guys don’t want me in there, it’s time for me to make a career change for myself. The fact is I’m ready to play ball, and if they’re not ready for me to play ball, somebody is.”

Have there been times Young has been deserving of criticism for his attitude and behavior? Yes, absolutely. But this is not one of those times. Instead, it shows that perhaps the competitive fire that was all but extinguished with last year’s meltdown has returned for Young.

Lest we forget, there was a comment a few months back of Young saying he was still drawing a paycheck, a statement that was apparently misconstrued, but drew criticism nonetheless. Young saying he wants to play in Tennessee or elsewhere certainly paints his mindset in a far more positive light.

Perhaps it’s not too late for Young to salvage a once-promising NFL career. And if he needs to go public to let people know the competitor in him has resurfaced then, so be it. It certainly is far from the worst thing Young has done since losing his starting job.