Mawae Weighing Coming Back to Tennessee As Backup

Kevin Mawae has made enough money that he doesn't have to play another down of football, but that won't make this decision any easier.

After a solid season as the Titans starter, Mawae has to decide--does he want to stay in Tennessee even if he's only going to be a backup or does he head elsewhere to try to start.

Most players would decide that they were being disrespected by their current team and leave, but Mawae, 39, has a more mature approach than most. As he sees it, it's part of the game so he'll leave his options open.

"I have been forced into the situation that I have to either humble myself to become a backup when I know I am capable of starting, or go on the free agent market and go somewhere else. It is a lot to have to think about,'' Mawae said Friday. "I am keeping a completely open mind. ... To say I am never going to come back to the Titans as a backup, I think that would be too strong of a statement. And to say I am certainly going to go somewhere else would be too strong a statement as well.''

As one of the heads of the players' union, Mawae understands that this is as much a business as a sport, so feelings are less important than a team's constant efforts at rebuilding. Leroy Harris is younger than Mawae with more upside, so Tennessee is ready to try to replace Mawae.

Mawae has been a fixture on the Titans' offensive line ever since he signed as a free agent in 2006. But he believes that he can play another two to three years at a high level. If that's the case, it's hard to say he wouldn't be better off trying to sign elsewhere. There are still teams that could be helped by Mawae starting, it just appears that Tennessee isn't one of them.