The 2019 season was supposed to Marcus Mariota’s prove-it year. He wasn’t able to do that, though, coming up short to the point that he was replaced for good by current starter, Ryan Tannehill.
The Tennessee Titans clearly think a lot of Tannehill’s long-term future with the team, because why else would you sign a quarterback to a four-year extension worth up to $118 million?
Now, fans are left to hope that Tannehill — who left behind a trail of inconsistency in Miami — will keep up his great play and not turn into a pumpkin.
He’s coming off the best season of his career and could continue to make team history, but he’ll have to prove that last year wasn’t just a one-hit wonder.
Barry Werner of Touchdown Wire shares a similar sentiment, placing the Titans right smack in the center of his quarterback situation rankings at No. 16.
“The commitment to Ryan Tannehill with the four-year, $118 million contract means the former No. 1 pick of the Dolphins feasted after his 2019 salary drive,” he wrote. “Will he be the man to take Tennessee to the Super Bowl or was that a one-and-done run? Tannehill is 49-49 as a starter in his career. He has to be much better for this bet to pay off.”
When evaluating the team’s quarterback situation as a whole, there’s not exactly much to it right now. Logan Woodside is the only other signal-caller currently on the roster.
And, while he may be a good player to have on the practice squad, his unimpressive arm strength and 6-foot-1, 213-pound frame makes you think the Titans would be wise to find someone else to backup Tannehill.
The Titans could address the need at some point in the 2020 NFL Draft by picking up a quarterback like Jordan Love, Jacob Eason or Jake Fromm early on.
They could also wait until the later rounds to select an Anthony Gordon, Cole McDonald or James Morgan, or perhaps comb through the list of undrafted free agents that could include players with intriguing raw ability, like Mason Fine and Tommy Stevens.
Regardless of how they handle it, the Titans need to have a competent player they can trust behind their starter in order to avoid paying the price they’ve had to in some past seasons.
