The Tennessee Titans have decided to start rookie Zach Mettenberger at quarterback against the visiting Houston Texans, a league source told ESPN's Adam Caplan on Wednesday.

The sixth-round draft pick out of LSU will get the start Sunday over Charlie Whitehurst, who has led the Titans to one win and two losses in his starts this season for the injured Jake Locker.

The Tennessean earlier reported that the Titans planned on starting Mettenberger.

Locker has missed the past two games with a bruised thumb and another game with a wrist injury.

Coach Ken Whisenhunt had said Locker would throw Tuesday and they would assess how he responds.

Whisenhunt has also said nothing has changed in his thinking about the Titans' quarterbacks, meaning Locker will return as the starter when healthy.

The Titans (2-5) will be looking to avoid a sixth defeat in seven games when they host former Titans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Texans (3-4).

After dropping four straight, the Titans edged previously winless Jacksonville 16-14, then lost to Washington last week.

Whitehurst was 17-of-26 for 160 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the 19-17 defeat to the Redskins.

Information from ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky and STATS LLC was used in this report.