Former Titans QB Ryan Tannehill may make surprise return in 2025, unmasking the Vikings as liars about their young QB JJ McCarthy

The last time Ryan Tannehill stepped on an NFL field, he won a meaningless game in his last as a Tennessee Titan. That was January 7th, 2024, a home win in Week 18 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It was a game better remembered as the Derrick Henry farewell game, in which he ran for 153 yards and a TD before addressing the crowd on mic at midfield before heading into the tunnel one last time. But it was really the end of the Tannehill, Henry, and as we would soon learn, Vrabel era of the franchise. It was the most successful stretch of football the Titans had seen since the McNair years.

Tannehill’s Tennessee Ending

I remember sitting in Tannehill’s postgame press conference. He was only playing in the game because Will Levis was injured. The win meant nothing other than to serve as a nice final send-off for this era of Tennessee football. I remember taking note of Ryan’s demeanor. He seemed at peace with this ending. We knew it was the end for him as a Titan, the place where he most firmly placed his stamp on NFL history. But it was an open question as to whether or not it would be the end for him in the league altogether. He was 35 at the time, and more importantly, was coming off a couple years that entailed some frustrating meltdowns in terms of performance on the field, as well repeated injuries and surgery. It wouldn’t have been all that shocking to see him step away from football entirely.

He went into the 2024 NFL season in the driver’s seat of the “emergency quality backup” role. The guy who was waiting for the right situation to open up right before or during the season; a team that was competitive and found themselves in sudden need of a new serious QB option on short notice. There were a couple mentions of his name in the news cycle, but nothing ever came close to materializing. So he sat the year out.

A Tannehill Return?

Now nearly 15 months later, the first serious news of his potential return has emerged. FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz reported on Friday that Tannehill has been in discussions with the Minnesota Vikings about a potential deal.