Tennessee’s starting quarterback from portions of 2019 through 2023 is scheduled to hit free agency
Welcome to Music City Miracles’ Tennessee Titans 2024 NFL Free Agency Primer! The legal tampering period begins on March 11th, but the Titans are able to re-sign their own free agents before then. General manager Ran Carthon now possesses full roster control and will collaborate with new head coach Brian Callahan on their vision for the 2024 Titans.
The Titans are currently scheduled to possess 24 free agents (19 unrestricted), including several key starters and role players. Over the next few weeks, we’ll take an in-depth look at each free agent and provide arguments for why the Titans should, or shouldn’t re-sign that player. We’ll also offer our final verdict and a prediction to go along with our analysis.
Today, we’re analyzing quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
Name: Ryan Tannehill
Position: QB
Current Age: 35
Why the Titans should re-sign Tannehill
Ryan Tannehill helped rescue this organization in 2019, delivering one of the best three-season periods (2019-21) in franchise history. The Titans qualified for an AFC Championship Game, won two division titles, and clinched the AFC’s No. 1 seed across those three campaigns.
Tannehill’s time as Tennessee’s starting quarterback has obviously come and gone. New head coach Brian Callahan is building around new franchise quarterback Will Levis. At this point in his career, Tannehill should accept that he’s a high-end backup quarterback. Tannehill’s days as an unquestioned starting quarterback have concluded.
Tannehill and Levis are already familiar with one another. New head coach Brian Callahan is expected to install an offense that’s similar to what Tannehill experienced career-best success in from 2019-2020 under Arthur Smith. That familiarity could make Tannehill the ideal backup QB.
Why the Titans should let Tannehill walk
The relationship between the Titans and Tannehill has obviously run its course. I believe the Titans largely failed Tannehill over the previous few campaigns with bad personnel at wide receiver and across the offensive line, and with bad offensive coordinator decisions (Todd Downing). But the aging Tannehill also failed to rise above, and has suffered three fairly serious ankle injuries across 2022 and 2023.
Tannehill didn’t hold punches when discussing his disappointment with being removed from the starting lineup in favor of Levis. Carthon is going to invest and build around Levis this offseason. Tannehill will be more interested in signing with a franchise that offers him to compete in training camp. Reuniting with Arthur Smith by signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers could appeal to Tannehill.
Projected Contract
Spotrac projects Tannehill signing a one-year contract worth $4.9 million. That feels a tad low, although I don’t expect Tannehill to surpass more than $8 million on a short-term contract. Jacoby Brissett earned $8 million in Washington this season as a well-traveled backup. I expect Tannehill to ultimately earn $5-7.5 million next season with performance-related incentives included.
Final verdict
The Titans shouldn’t re-sign Tannehill. He enjoyed some outstanding seasons as the starting quarterback in Nashville, but the window for Tannehill’s Titans to compete for a Super Bowl has closed. Tannehill and the Titans will mutually agree to go their separate ways once free agency begins in mid March.
Prediction
Tannehill signs elsewhere. I believe the Titans will target another veteran backup quarterback in free agency that Callahan or his offensive staff has ties with. Jimmy Garoppolo, A.J. McCarron, Sam Darnold, and Brian Hoyer could be among the options.
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