After the Dallas Cowboys inked quarterback Dak Prescott to a four-year, $160 million contract ($126 million guaranteed), Tennessee Titans signal-caller Ryan Tannehill fell to No. 10 on the list of the highest-paid quarterbacks based on annual average.
Here’s a look at the nine signal-callers ahead of him, according to Over the Cap:
| Rank | Name | AAV |
| 1 | Patrick Mahomes | $45 million |
| 2 | Dak Prescott | $40 million |
| 3 | Deshaun Watson | $39 million |
| 4 | Russell Wilson | $35 million |
| 5 | Jared Goff | $33.5 million |
| 6 | Aaron Rodgers | $33.5 million |
| 7 | Kirk Cousins | $33 million |
| 8 | Carson Wentz | $32 million |
| 9 | Matt Ryan | $30 million |
| 10 | Ryan Tannehill | $29.5 million |
As far as the biggest 2021 cap hits around the NFL go, Tannehill remains in the top five of that list, per Spotrac, as Prescott’s cap hit in the first year is $22.2 million.
| Rank | Name | Cap Hit |
| 1 | Matt Ryan | $40.9 million |
| 2 | Aaron Rodgers | $37.5 million |
| 3 | Russell Wilson | $32 million |
| 4 | Kirk Cousins | $31 million |
| 5 | Ryan Tannehill | $29.5 million |
And what have the Titans gotten for their money? A steady hand under center who has finally stabilized the team’s quarterback situation and shown plenty of flashes of elite play.
Not to mention, he won Comeback Player of the Year in 2019 and has helped elevate Tennessee’s offense to an elite status, while also guiding the Titans to a pair of playoff appearances and one AFC South title the past two seasons.
While Tannehill will have hefty cap hits in each of the next three seasons, there is an out for the Titans after 2022, as he carries a dead cap number of $5 million in 2023, so it’s not like they’re locked into him for several more years should things go south.
