As rumors swirl surrounding the future of Ryan Tannehill with the Tennessee Titans, what are his potential landing spots if the team looks to trade him? Let’s examine Tannehill’s current contract situation, how feasible a trade is, and his potential landing spots.
Ryan Tannehill landing spots
The Titans have limited issues moving on from Tannehill this offseason. He has $29 million in guaranteed salary, which any team trading for Tannehill would have to be willing to take on. Additionally, Tannehill would leave $28.4 million in dead money if Tennessee traded him this offseason. That would represent a saving of just $10.2 million over his current expected cap number.
The advantage for teams trading for Tannehill is that after his $29 million salary in 2022, he has no further guarantees. Therefore, a team trading for Tannehill would only take on his salary for next season and then could move on. Even if they kept him through the life of his contract, it would cost them just $56 million over the next two years.
That gives the Titans a couple of options. They could send a high draft pick with Tannehill in order to essentially dump his salary. Alternatively, a team could view the QB as a one-year solution with a second-year option. A team that views itself as close to complete could look at Tannehill as the solution to take them over the top.
Let’s examine the teams that could be in the frame to trade for Tannehill this offseason.
Could the Denver Broncos view Tannehill as the missing piece?
The Broncos tried to bring in Teddy Bridgewater as their potential final piece in 2021. However, that did not work as Bridgewater failed to elevate the offense enough to make them a playoff team. Yet, the rest of the team, especially the defense, is almost a complete unit. If they can find the right quarterback for new head coach Nathaniel Hackett, he has a chance to put this team in the playoff mix.
The Broncos will likely be looking elsewhere than Tannehill initially. A report from the Shrine Bowl by PFN Chief NFL Draft Analyst and NFL Insider Tony Pauline had the Broncos in the mix for Aaron Rodgers. However, if Rodgers remains in Green Bay or chooses another destination, Tannehill could be an interesting fallback option. He would almost certainly provide more upside than Bridgewater while also offering a higher floor than Drew Lock.
The Pittsburgh Steelers need a new QB
The path the Steelers take this offseason will be fascinating. They could potentially just rip it all down and go for a rebuild. However, they have big money invested in parts of their defense, and a rebuild likely won’t be the first plan. Therefore, they need to find a QB that can martial the offense to an effective level.
Pittsburgh just made the postseason with Ben Roethlisberger looking a shell of his former self. Tannehill would provide a spark to the offense and force defenses to respect the passing game more than they did in 2021. That would also help open things up for Najee Harris, who struggled at times as a rookie.
Could Tannehill be the new Commander in Washington?
There is a shiny new uniform, logo, and name in Washington, so why not a new Commander of the offense? Taylor Heinicke had some good spells in 2021, but it is clear he is not the long-term solution. This is a roster that seems to be in fairly good shape. The defense struggled at times last season but also flashed to its potential at others.
If Washington can get a quarterback they trust to run the offense, it would support the defense. At times, it felt like the defensive unit was trying to make the hero play. If they believe their offense is going to score 20-30 points regularly, they can play with confidence and play sound football.
Would the Titans deal with their AFC South rival Indianapolis Colts?
The simple answer is probably not if they can avoid it. Nevertheless, if the Titans had a shot at Rodgers and the only way to make it work was to trade Tannehill to Indianapolis, they would likely pull the trigger. Releasing Tannehill would leave a huge dead cap number, so that is not an option. The Packers might take Tannehill back, but then they would be giving up on Jordan Love and have cap space issues of their own.
The Colts would be a good destination for Tannehill. They seem uncertain if they will ride with Carson Wentz again next season, but they proved that their roster is built to compete this year. Tannehill could be an ideal candidate for an offense built around Jonathan Taylor. The big sticking point for the Colts is whether they are willing to invest more capital into acquiring another new QB.