The Tennessee Titans offense was very much stagnant at the beginning of the 2019 season, marked by a slow 2-4 start.
But things quickly turned around for the team when former Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who was originally brought in as no more than an insurance policy for Marcus Mariota, took the reins in Week 7.
The Titans never looked back, and now Mariota is in Las Vegas with the Raiders, and Tannehill has been signed to a four-year, $118 million extension, with $62 million guaranteed.
But was it for the best?
Admit it, almost all of us were waiting for Tannehill to turn into a pumpkin at some point last year.
It hasn’t happened yet, but some believe the possibility is still on the table, including Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus, who also believes the Titans should have franchise tagged Tannehill instead of giving him an extension.
“Regression seems inevitable for Tannehill,” he wrote. “His positively graded play rate with the Titans was nearly double what it was with Miami the year prior. Tannehill has always been a relatively accurate quarterback, but his play on the field has shown to be dependent on those around him and the play-caller/scheme. It worked for Tennessee in 2019, and we thought it would be a great idea to bring Tannehill back for another season — but on the franchise tag to prove he can produce the same once more, not necessarily on a deal like this one.”
Of course, it was Derrick Henry who ended up getting the franchise tag.
Only time will tell if a historically inconsistent Tannehill can repeat the successes of last season, and he’ll be put himself to the test when the 2020 campaign kicks off later this year.
