Ryan Tannehill got a nice vote of confidence this week from head coach Mike Vrabel, who said 12-year veteran will return as the Titans starting quarterback when he is healthy.
“If he can go, Ryan will be our quarterback,” Vrabel said.
From a competitive standpoint, Tannehill probably gives the Titans their best chance to be competitive right now. But so far in 2023, the results have been mixed at best, and the offense is having troubles all over the place.
It’s not Tannehill’s fault that the Titans pass protection is often a sieve, or that his receivers don’t consistently gain separation in the pass routes. But it is fair to say Tannehill has had his share of culpability in the offensive woes. After all, when an offense struggles, the quarterback and the offensive coordinator are going to be the most scrutinized.
At 35, Tannehill has probably hit his ceiling as a player. He can still perform with the right talent around him, but the Titans appear to be a long way from having the type of supporting cast needed to be a true contender.
That said, you wonder if the injuries, the lack of consistent weapons in the pass game and all the hits he has taken the past few years are beginning to take their toll.
It happens at some point in nearly every quarterback’s career. No player defeats Father Time, though Tom Brady gave it a heck of a run. But one thing people don’t talk about enough with Brady playing till 42 was that he didn’t take a lot of unnecessary punishment, and that helped him stay healthy longer.
Tannehill hasn’t had such good fortune the last three seasons. He has been sacked 100 times (playoffs included) during that span of 36 games played through Sunday. And that doesn’t even include nearly all the hits that didn’t result in sacks.
Such punishment no doubt has taken a toll, and no one should question Tannehill’s toughness. Players can only take so many hits, and Tannehill and Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins are the only two active quarterbacks left from his draft class of 2012. Notably, both Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, who were the first two picks in that draft, have long since retired.
Tannehill’s contract is up at the end of this season, and given factors such as injuries, age and even getting his private pilot’s license, you wonder how much longer Tannehill might want to continue.
That, of course, will be up to him and his family.
But if the end is near for Tannehill, he deserves credit for his contributions to this franchise.