Titans QB Ryan Tannehill again linked with Jets

Tennessee Titans veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill is in the final months of his contract and could become available ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline after rookie Will Levis impressed in Sunday's 28-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons that improved the Titans to 3-4. 

NFL insider Dan Graziano of ESPN believes the 4-3 New York Jets should call the Titans about Tannehill's availability coming off the Jets' ugly 13-10 overtime win versus the New York Giants on Sunday. 

Graziano pointed out that the Jets have "a whole pile of" salary-cap space thanks to Aaron Rodgers taking a massive pay cut this past summer before Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles in Week 1 that probably will keep him out through January. Graziano also mentioned that the Jets acquiring Tannehill this week would allow the 35-year-old to learn the offense as third-year pro Zach Wilson continues to start in November. 

"Let your defense and your run game keep you in games as they've been doing, and you can go to Tannehill if Wilson starts to really falter again," Graziano explained about the Jets. "It's not an Aaron Rodgers problem, because Tannehill's contract is up after this year, and he wouldn't be in Rodgers' way in 2024."

While Wilson made a handful of clutch plays late in Sunday's win, he also completed just 17-of-36 pass attempts for 240 yards and a touchdown that happened more because of the work of running back Breece Hall than because of anything Wilson did. Per ESPN stats, Wilson entered Monday ranked 29th in the league among qualified players with a 36.8 adjusted QBR and 30th with a 74.3 passer rating on the season. 

Last fall, wide receiver Garrett Wilson didn't hide his displeasure with the passing attack when Zach Wilson was struggling, and head coach Robert Saleh seemed to understand last month that he could lose some members of the locker room if he continued backing Zach Wilson amid the signal-caller's poor performances. Shortly after Sunday's victory, Garrett Wilson admitted to Graziano that "we had no business being in that game." 

"Adding a veteran to the QB room helps guard against the kind of trouble that could do in a roster that otherwise feels playoff-caliber," Graziano wrote about the Jets. 

One wonders if Zach Wilson could have a new mentor in Tannehill before the Jets host the 3-4 Los Angeles Chargers next Monday night.

As of Monday afternoon, OddsChecker listed the Jets as three-point underdogs against the Chargers.