The 2019 Associated Press Returning Player of the Year is about to hit the free agency this offseason, and it looks like he won a big contract after helping the Tennessee Titans make it to the AFC championship game. Ryan Tannehill was practically dropped by the Miami Dolphins in the past season, and ended up in Nashville as a replacement for Marcus Mariota. Mariota was part of the Titans’ long-term plans, and they wanted a veteran to come and push him to raise his game. That’s not exactly what happened.
After the Titans started 2-4, head coach Mike Vrabel made the decision to place Mariota on the bench at Tannehill. Immediately, the Titans’ offensive improved. Tannehill went 7-3 as a regular season starter and completed 70.3 percent of his passes for 2,742 yards, 22 touchdowns and only six interceptions. He finished the regular season with the highest passer rating in the NFL (117.5) and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month in December, when he scored 90 out of 132 for 1,322 yards, 12 touchdowns, two interceptions and a passer rating of 124.6. while leading the Titans to an average of 31.4 points per game.
Tannehill took a back seat to Derrick Henry in the playoffs, but still managed 369 yards, five touchdowns and one interception in three games. In 2019, Tannehill proved that he was a legitimate starting quarterback and a player who knows how to make the most of his offensive weapons. The Titans would like to sign it again for a multi-year deal, but what are the odds that are actually happening?
As we move towards the start of the NFL Free Agency, this will serve as a hub for all free agent updates related to Tannehill. From the latest rumors to his draft open market contract, the best landing spots and much more; regarding his free agency, we will have everything here.
The best free agent landing sites for Tannehill
- Tennessee Titans
- New England Patriots
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Indianapolis Colts
- Las Vegas Raiders
It’s hard to imagine that the Titans will let go of Tannehill and have to start again in the quarterback position. If a long term agreement cannot be reached, I expect the franchise tag to be used. Maybe the Patriots and Titans will trade quarters? Tom Brady plans to leave Foxborough and has been linked to Tennessee. If Brady leaves, the Patriots will need a quarter and Tannehill may be available. The Chargers are leaving Philip Rivers and many expect to draft a quarterback in the first round this year. If that does not happen, they could take advantage of the free agency, where Tannehill could be available. Could Tannehill play for a Titans rival in 2020? Perhaps. The Colts missed the playoffs with Jacoby Brissett under the center in 2019, and they may be looking to upgrade. As for the Raiders, that doesn’t mean they will want to leave Derek Carr, but Jon Gruden is still interested in different quarterbacks. The Raiders would likely draft a flagman or chase Brady if they abandoned Carr, but Tannehill could be considered a blow from afar to head west.
Could Tom Brady’s time with the Pats end? What are the chances that he ends up in Tennessee? Will Brinson and the Pickfri Supercast Podfri Superfriends break it down; listen below and be sure to subscribe to the daily goodness of the NFL.
Projected market value for Tannehill in free agency
At Spotrac, one of the main providers of information on contracts and the NFL salary cap, they projected Tannehill’s estimated contract at four years, 122 million dollars with an average annual salary of 30.5 million dollars. This would make him the sixth highest paid quarterback in the NFL when it comes to average wages. It certainly sounds like a lot of money to someone who turns 32 this offseason, but you have to remember that we’re talking about the quarterback position. These guys will continue to be paid well, and if the Titans don’t want to shell out money, another team will likely do so. Again, Tannehill could end up being labeled the franchise.
Screening report on Tannehill (advantages and disadvantages):
Benefits:
- Accurate passer, especially on outside throws
- Like to take risks, knows how to adjust the passes inside narrow windows
- Confident, creative leader on the run / outside the pocket
- More mobile than it deserves (four career rushed touchdowns in 2019)
The inconvenients:
- Celebrates 32 years in July
- Injuries: Tore ACL in 2017, a shoulder injury removed him from the field in 2018
- A wonder of a year? Consistency was an issue in Miami
Rumors, reports and updates
GM Titans on Tannehill: “We will see how it goes”
Tuesday February 25: “We will see how it goes,” said Jon Robinson, via Paul Kuharsky from PaulKuharsky.com. “His contract is underway. We will have these contract negotiations with many of our players. As I said, I would like to keep as many guys on the team as possible.”
“But the Titans of 2020, they’re going to look different from the Titans of 2019. That’s how it is. The Titans of 2019 were different from the Titans of 2018. There are recruits who come into play. trades, free will, there are waiver requests. And we told our team. They understand that. They are professionals. “
Learn more about Jeff Kerr’s story here.
Derrick Henry believes Tannehill is the future
Tuesday February 18: “During a recent appearance on Taylor Lewan and Will Compton’s Bussin ‘With the Boys Podcast, Henry admitted that there are other decent quarterback options, including arguably the best player of all time, but asked, why wouldn’t the Titans want Tannehill to come back? “
“[Brady] can still play, “said Henry, via Pro Football Talk.” Obviously, age doesn’t matter to him, he always plays at a high level, but my question would be: why isn’t Ryan not good enough, you know … Speaking on behalf of everyone on the offense, we fed on it … Ryan Tannehill is our quarterback and went to the AFC Championship, why would we want to not Ryan back? ‘”
Learn more about the story of Jordan Dajani here.
Tannehill hires new agent before free agency
Wednesday February 12th: “The 31-year-old quarterback is now preparing for what should be a monstrous payday, abandoning his previous representation and joining the Creative Artists Agency, a mega-conglomerate of talent known for negotiating some of the biggest contracts in the sport. Things get a lot more intriguing from there, since the CAA also represents the rusher of the league Derrick Henry, who is also an unrestricted free agent who will open the piggy bank in 2020. Considering that the Titans would like to keep both , if possible, can move forward with more effective conversations to try to make it happen. “
Learn more about the story of Patrik Walker here.
Tannehill says he would like to go back to Titans
Monday January 27: “I would like things to line up and I would like to be back (in Tennessee) if all goes well, but you never know what’s going to happen,” said Tannehill, via the Titans website. “So you have to try to mentally prepare yourself for that, what else can happen. We will just have to see. But I hope we can get things done and continue to build on what we have done this year.”
“I know I like the organization (Titans), I like the team, I like the guys on the team and I like the tone coach (Mike) Vrabel defines, and the vision that it has. I feel like we’re headed in the right direction. “
Learn more about Jeff Kerr’s story here.
Agent’s opinion: what’s next for Ryan Tannehill
Wednesday, 22nd of January: “Tannehill is a prime candidate for a non-exclusive franchise label, unless a long-term agreement can be reached before the designation window closes. One approach that Tannehill’s side could take in early negotiations is to use the 2015 contract extension signed by Tannehill after adjusting the agreement to a salary cap environment for 2020 as a starting point for serious discussions. Tannehill received an extension of $ 77 million over four years with $ 45 million in guarantees from the Dolphins when the salary cap was $ 143.28 million. With a 2020 salary cap forecast in the $ 200 million range, an equivalent deal would average about $ 27 million a year. As Tannehill has clearly performed better this season than he has ever done with Miami, simply adjusting his contract with the Dolphins may not be enough to reach an agreement with his camp. “
Learn more about the story of Joel Corry here.
Tannehill without commitment for the future with Titans
Sunday January 19: “I’m going to have to step back and look at things here during the off-season,” said Tannehill, via a video by Erik Bacharach from The Tennessean. “Obviously, I love this team. I love what this team has accomplished. I have a lot of love for the guys on this team and I love to play with them. But now, I really can’t think of anything but how close we were and this loss. “
Learn more about Josh Edwards’ story here.
