Predicting destinations for Marcus Mariota, Derrick Henry and other Titans free agents

Ryan Tannehill

Prediction — Tennessee Titans

I’ve gone on record saying the Titans would be making a mistake to let Ryan Tannehill move on after the year he had, but the same goes for him, the quarterback would be making a mistake to walk away from Tennessee.

Tannehill had always been a “fine” player as a Miami Dolphin, but after six years with a career losing record in Miami, “fine” seemed to be the consensus on his level as a quarterback.

But Tannehill rewrote that book with his year in Tennessee. He made his first Pro Bowl, won his first playoff game, and had the Titans playing at a championship-caliber level.

There is no guarantee he would be able to find a more “win-now” type team than the Tennessee Titans on the open market. Most of this year’s quarterback-needy teams are more than a few pieces away from seriously contending for a playoff spot. Plus, there’s no guarantee that Tannehill would be the same player anywhere else that he was for the Titans.

Tannehill had never played at the level he showed with the Titans until he got into their system. It’s clear that he felt comfortable in Arthur Smith’s offense. It’s clear he had a good chemistry with his teammates, and it stands to reason another year in that offense will only make him a better player.

I don’t think Tannehill’s deal will be cheap, but it’s a deal that benefits both parties. I think Jon Robinson will find a way to keep his quarterback playing in Tennessee.