Despite performing as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL last season, Tennessee Titans signal-caller Ryan Tannehill isn’t being ranked among the best players at his position in Pro Football Focus’ quarterback rankings.
PFF’s Steve Palazzolo placed Tannehill in the third of four quarterback tiers in his rankings and questions the signal-caller’s ability to repeat his success from 2019.
There’s no denying that Tannehill’s 2019 season was a far cry from the rest of his career. Even if this is a turning point in his development, it will still be difficult for him to duplicate the on-field production that carried the Titans’ offense last season. That said, Tannehill has always been an accurate quarterback at the short and intermediate levels. Deep passing success is often down to the supporting cast, and that’s where wide receiver A.J. Brown provides hope. Expect some regression from Tannehill, especially with positively graded throws, but there’s also a chance that he is truly rejuvenated in a system that fits his skill set, which could give the Titans another top-rated offense in 2020.
That success saw Tannehill finish tied for the third-highest overall PFF grade among quarterbacks. He also led the NFL in passer rating, yards per attempt, yards per completion, and won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award in what was his best season as a pro.
While there is certainly some good company around Tannehill in the third tier, an argument can be made for him to be higher, but clearly the small sample size in Tennessee isn’t enough in the eyes of this expert.
The other quarterbacks in Palazzolo’s “Tier 3” include Cam Newton, Joe Burrow, Derek Carr, Jared Goff, Jimmy Garoppolo, Kirk Cousins, Dak Prescott, Matthew Stafford, Carson Wentz, Ben Roethlisberger, Baker Mayfield and Philip Rivers.
Should he duplicate his 2019 success in 2020, Tannehill would no doubt land himself in a better tier.
