Ryan Tannehill all but confirmed that the Tennessee Titans would be moving on from him after “going rogue” in the Titans’ last game of the regular season.
Ryan Tannehill’s Career Closed In Tennessee
He helped teammate DeAndre Hopkins reach his $500,000 incentive by going against orders to throw him two extra passes in what was otherwise a strong 28-20 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars – knocking the Jags out of playoff contention in a revenge game from the year before – and in doing so jokingly stated “I’m out anyway. I’ve got nothing to lose.”
The Tennessee Titans are moving forward with promising, but certainly raw quarterback, 2nd round draft pick, Will Levis, and traded for ex-Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Mason Rudolph; who was very impressive down the stretch last season; to be Levis’ backup.
So the question now goes – where will Tannehill land. Quarterbacks have disappeared from the free agency market at a record rate, yet Tannehill remains a valuable option as a strong backup and/or borderline bridge starter for a number of teams.
Chicago Bears In Need Of A Mentor For Incoming Young Star
After a major trade that sent Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, the Chicago Bears are now in search of a QB option to mentor and backup likely incoming starter, projected 1st overall pick in the 2024 draft, Caleb Williams.
Timothy Rapp of Bleacher Report suggests that Ryan Tannehill would be an ideal candidate to teach Williams the ropes, without being an immediate threat to him at this advanced stage of his career.
The team may want a more experienced backup than 23-year-old Tyson Bagent to go alongside their young starter. Either [Zach] Wilson or Tannehill would fit that bill. More than likely, the Bears will let their rookie quarterback navigate the bumps and bruises of a rookie season as the starter. But having a veteran backup to help weather those treacherous waters is always helpful.
This may be a more logical destination for Tannehill than Wilson in that regard, given the former’s longer NFL career and the fact that Bagent showed some potential as a backup in the 2023 campaign.
This pickup actually makes a lot of sense. Unless a very QB needy team, like the Denver Broncos, were offering to make the 2019 Pro Bowler their starter for the year, Chicago really seems like the best possible option for Tannehill, who will be 36 at the start of the 2024 season.
Even then, it could well be that the Bears could offer the Texas native some valuable starting time as they let Caleb Williams learn the ropes at the beginning of the season.
Let’s see where Tannehill ends up – but the Chicago Bears certainly seems as good as option as any.
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