Three teams that should add free agent Ryan Tannehill

As each NFL season enters its free agency period, it seems as though there are countless big names up for grabs. Most of them find new homes or return to their team, but some fall into the abyss of unsigned talent.

Per cycle, this usually happens to a few players who were considered a key piece of a roster just one year ago. Not only did they their role, but they have to wait and hope a team will take a chance on them.

This is the current reality for former Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill. The former Pro Bowler lost his starting spot to rookie Will Levis last year and now sits as a free agent months after the signing window opened up.

Tannehill, 35, certainly isn’t what he once was, but he’s no slouch. He has priceless experience that could be useful for certain contenders in case of emergency.

Here are three teams that should consider adding him.

Houston Texans

After a tremendous year from rookie C.J. Stroud, the Houston Texans bolstered their receiving room by adding four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs. They’re set to contend for the AFC South once again and potentially make a run at the Super Bowl.

With so much excitement surrounding Stroud as the franchise quarterback, it's hard to imagine the team without him. The problem is that injuries are a reality all teams face. If Stroud were to go down, Davis Mills or Case Keenum would be in place to take over.

Both Mills and Keenum are serviceable backups but could fall short when it comes to leading a playoff run. Tannehill should at least be considered by his former AFC South rival, if only for his playoff experience. 

If nothing else, it would be just one more brain for Stroud to pick as he progresses.

Buffalo Bills

On the other end of the Diggs swap, the Buffalo Bills will be working on the kinks with a revamped pass-catching unit. They’re still expected to contend in the AFC, as they have in nearly every year of Josh Allen’s time there.

If Allen goes down, the Bills will turn to a familiar face in the form of Mitchell Trubisky. Trubisky returned to Buffalo this offseason after a two-year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s had some impressive moments but isn’t the most ideal backup option.

Signing Tannehill would give the Bills a reliable contingency plan should Allen go down. Just like how the Bills have fallen to the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs year after year, Tannehill’s deepest playoff run also concluded at the hands of the Chiefs. 

Maybe this combination can help them take down a common enemy.

Baltimore Ravens

Sticking with the theme of AFC teams that have yet to get past Kansas City, we have the Baltimore Ravens. Adding a quarterback might be the last thing on the minds of those in Baltimore after an MVP season from Lamar Jackson, who led the team to the top seed in the conference.

Jackson’s mobile play style has garnered great results, but also puts him in harm’s way. After Tyler Huntley signed with the Cleveland Browns, the backup option in Baltimore is now veteran quarterback Josh Johnson. 

Johnson, 38, has proven on multiple occasions that he’s capable of stepping in and leading a team. That's far from ideal, though, especially given how his age pairs with the Ravens' offensive scheme. Tannehill would be a reliable option if Jackson had to miss time.