Jake Locker’s time with the Tennessee Titans has quietly come to an end. Sure, he’s officially a Titan until March, but Sunday’s shoulder injury vs. the Jets – and his upcoming surgery – ends a star-crossed four-year run.

And with it concludes a frustrating and head-scratching chapter in Titans history.

The Locker Era will always be known for what might have been had it not been for injuries and drastic changes at both offensive coordinator and head coach during a four-year run.

Who knew that when he played in only 11 games in 2012, his first year starting, that he would never again play that many games in a season for Tennessee?

But beyond the injuries, another sad and perplexing aspect of the Locker Era is the fact that Locker could never stabilize the quarterback position for the Titans because the Titans could never stabilize the offensive system long enough for him to find a rhythm.

Locker enjoyed varying degrees of success in the systems of Chris Palmer, Dowell Loggains and even Ken Whisenhunt. But each change, like each injury, took a toll on his development.

It was thought that when Whisenhunt came to Tennessee with a reputation of quarterback whisperer this season he might help Locker blossom. He had a chance, many thought, if he could stay healthy, to earn a long-term extension in the process.

The season started well with a win in Kansas City, with Locker playing one of his best games in a Titans uniform. But things quickly unraveled, as hand and thumb injuries kept him off the field.

When he went out with a hand injury against the Browns – after having helped the Titans build a big lead – signs began to emerge that Whisenhunt was moving in a different direction.

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They grew stronger as Locker seemed to be throwing well enough on the practice field to make his scheduled starts in subsequent weeks against the Redskins and Jaguars. Whisenhunt trotted out backup Charlie Whitehurst instead, insisting Locker wasn’t quite ready to return.

In hindsight, Whisenhunt was buying time until he could turn the offense over to rookie Zach Mettenberger, which he did the next week against the Texans.

Perhaps it was a move that had to be made for a team going nowhere and needing to know if Mettenberger could be the answer going forward.

And while Locker didn’t agree, he also didn’t mope and didn’t show his frustrations even as he saw the writing for his Titans career on the wall.

When his time came to return after Mettenberger’s injury, Locker even found a lesson to be learned from his demotion.

“It’s one of the challenges I’ve faced this year and one of the tougher ones I’ve probably in my life so far,” Locker said. “But I think I grew a lot from it. I learned a lot and I’m a better person for it. There are things I learned throughout the course of that that I’ll keep with me for the rest of my life.”

To most, the Locker Era will be remembered simply as another disappointment, much like Vince Young’s tenure. Locker, however, will leave the Titans with class and maturity.

Locker earned the respect of teammates, coaches, fans and the media in how he conducted his business on the field and in the community.

“I have too many good things, too many blessings in my life to get upset about a few little things like this,” Locker said after Sunday’s injury. “Obviously, it’s frustrating; it’s not easy to deal with, but I truly do feel that way.”

It can be debated how much Locker the quarterback made the Titans better in his time here.

But what is not up for debate is how much better Locker the man made the Titans organization.

And that, quite frankly, won’t be easy to replace.

Terry McCormick covers the Titans for TitanInsider.com and is a blogger for 247 Sports NFL Insider.