Things didn’t go according to plan for the Titans in 2022 on offense in particular, and the team lost out in the AFC South title race. Not long before that took place, Tennessee fired general manager Jon Robinson in a move which took many by surprise. 
His replacement, Ran Carthon, faces the challenge of determining the team’s future at the quarterback position. Four-year starter Ryan Tannehill remained the No. 1 when healthy in 2022, but questions have been raised about his chances of remaining in Nashville next season. The veteran struggled during his 12 games played, throwing 13 touchdowns and six interceptions while battling multiple injuries and overseeing a passing attack which had undergone significant changes.
Tannehill, 34, was thought to be in danger of losing his starting spot at some point when the Titans selected Malik Willis in the third round of the 2022 draft. The Liberty product was seen as a long-term developmental option, and one who could make Tannehill expendable, especially in light of his contract status. The latter has one year remaining on his deal and a scheduled cap hit of $36.6MM.
When speaking on the former first-rounder’s situation, Carthon said, “Ryan is under contract. I know everybody wants to make a big deal out of the quarterback position and whether he will or won’t be here, but you guys just have to accept the fact that Ryan is under contract for us. Right now, he’s a Titan and he will be a Titan” (h/t Nick Shook of NFL.com).
Those comments certainly suggest that the Titans won’t be looking to cut Tannehill in at least the immediate future. Doing so would yield $17.8MM in cap savings, and follow the steps already taken by the Commanders with Carson Wentz and the Falcons with Marcus Mariota. On the other hand, they fall well short of the endorsement Tannehill received last offseason.
Notably, Tennessee turned to Joshua Dobbs, rather than Willis, for the final two weeks of the regular season with a playoff spot on the line. The latter did little in his three starts to cement his status as anything but competition for Tannehill (or another passer) for the top spot on the depth chart in training camp. The Titans currently have just over $12MM in cap space, with a number of positions needing attention after the slew of cuts they made last week. Moving on from Tannehill would help their financial situation, but likely add the team to the list of those already in the market for a short-term veteran addition under center.
Tannehill is far from Tennessee’s biggest problem roster-wise. Could they improve at the QB spot? Certainly. Could they regress? Even more likely. Tannehill is not a top end QB, but he gives them a chance to win from his spot. Injuries obviously de-railed the Titans somewhat, but the offense as a whole regressed without Brown or a secondary receiver. Burks was not bad for the Titans, but he is nowhere near ready to carry an offense at this point. The Titans’ offensive line has also regressed, and will notably need a left tackle replacement. Okonkwo looks promising, at least right now, as a pass catcher. He is severely undersized, but Tennessee likes his blocking ability. Still, I think that they’d like to add a tight end, and an interior lineman, in addition to some obvious defensive needs.
Bottom line, Tennessee could upgrade at quarterback, sure. It is much easier, however, for them to downgrade, and with their other needs, it would be wiser to spend picks on those areas. The Titans have lost some playmakers in the last three or four years since Henry and Tannehill’s emergence that haven’t been replaced fully, particularly at tight end and wide receiver. Tannehill is not going to carry the team on his own, but he will give you a good chance to win if the proper pieces are in place.
With as many holes as they have to fill, it’s not feasible to consider something like a Rodgers trade and I’m not sure Garapolo or Carr are any better than Tannehill when it comes down to it. I think they need to draft a QB and build around him.
They can’t afford Rodgers 50 million this year
Actually Tannehill is exactly the reason the Titans need cap space – as his $36.6 million salary removes any possibility of the Titans bringing in enough quality talent to have an offense that isn’t one-dimensional. As a 3rd or 4th tier quarterback, i.e., one that cannot raise the level of play of his offensive teammates through his own skills, Tannehill MUST be surrounded by at least three talented playmakers for the team to win consistently.
I don’t believe that I’d consider Tannehill that incompetent, but his salary is not exorbitant compared to today’s starters, and his hit is high because management restructured his deal already (partly for Julio Jones two years ago). If the Titans can put better pieces in place, Tannehill can give them what they need now.
Drafting a QB wouldn’t be a bad idea, but there’s no guarantee that he’ll be better than Tannehill with the team that they have now. Since the Titans already have Tannehill, they may as well build the team in its other spots. That way, in the next year or two, there will be a more complete roster for the Titans’ next QB to inherit.