Veteran quarterbacks have differing opinions on the subject of mentorship. An old vet buried six feet under on the depth chart by a young gun is no more a rite of passage than a starter. Egos are fragile. At one time, Kurt Warner showed the ropes to Eli Manning, who was the next guy up. When the reaper came for Eli, he rejected mentoring as one of his job descriptions.
Two years ago, Tannehill extended the team's contract by $118 million, including $62 million in fully guaranteed money and $91 million in total guarantees. Tannehill was fresh off throwing 22 touchdown and 6 interception in the playoffs. Tannehill is an independent contractor who is hoping to be brought back for the next two years.
The Tennessee selected Liberty quarterback Malik Willis with the 86th overall pick during the second day of the NFL draft. The quarterback with mechanical and mental issues will likely keep him out of action for the next two years. Tannehill hears the ominous sound of the time bomb that is his dwindling existence as a starter now that the dust has settled from the crash.
The quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator will work on a project called Willis. Tannehill told the Nashville media that he was sitting this one out.
We are competing against each other in the same room and we are watching the same tape. If he learns from me along the way, that's a great thing.
Ryan Tannehill doesn't want to be involved in raising a quarterback. Each player is looking out for themselves in the business of the NFL. Tannehill has a nice little nest egg waiting for him. The longer it takes for Tannehill to grow, the longer he remains the AFC's Jimmy Garoppolo. It is difficult, unrewarding work, but someone has to do it. Tannehill is out of a job if he improves too quickly.
Tannehill is starting to show some rust, but he can still sling it well enough to keep the fans from grabbing their pitchforks. Tannehill did a job in 2021 that Baker Mayfield could do for half the price. The parameters of Tannehill's contract make it difficult for the TITANS to trade or waive him without hurting their finances. According to Spotrac, a pre-June 1 trade of Tannehill would leave the TITANS with a dead cap of $28.4 million. The dead cap charge would be split by a post June 1 trade.
Tannehill managed the game well enough for Tennessee to slip into the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Henry was absent in Tannehill's production. Tannehill's yards gained per attempt plummeted for the second-straight season and he threw a career-high 14 turnovers.
The uneasiness over Tannehill's game against the Cincinnati Bengals in the Divisional Round convinced Tennessee that they could mold him into a potential franchise quarterback. Tannehill wants to avoid the senior home for as long as possible.
If Tannehill goes down, it's not ready. Tennessee, it's tough luck. It takes a village to raise a quarterback. Don't ask Tannehill to help.
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