The Tennessee Titans sit at 2-4 after their bye week and it is time for this team to admit to themselves that they are at the end of an era. Unfortunately, we cannot deny reality anymore, and the truth is that the Titans can no longer justify trying to compete with their current core.
Early in the offseason, it looked like they should have really started the rebuild, but they decided to give it another shot. The whole idea seemed like a pipe dream until they signed Deandre Hopkins which appeared to have changed everything.
However, it only took six weeks to come to terms with their situation, as they just traded Kevin Byard just a week before the upcoming trade deadline.
The Titans are not expected to stop there, as Derrick Henry is among those they could part with before next Tuesday.
No matter who is traded and who is not, changes are going to be made throughout the lineup, and in particular, at the quarterback position. Ryan Tannehill was already having a rough season, but then he suffered a high ankle sprain in the recent loss in London, effectively ending the Titans playoff hopes given their team's situation this year.
As such, that all but closes the book on the era of Titans football, which includes Tannehill's job as the starting quarterback. Even if he does come back, the team will probably be well out of the playoff hunt, so he has almost certainly played his last snap of meaningful football in the two-tone blue.
The NFL is unfortunately a "what have you done for me lately" kind of league, and where Tannehill is right now is not going to get the Titans anywhere far in the playoffs. But when you look at his overall body of work under center in Nashville, you cannot deny the valuable contributions he made to the team and their success.
Ultimately, the Ryan Tannehill era will go down as a memorable and fun one for the Tennessee Titans, and now is a good time to reflect on his entire journey and his significance to the franchise.
Year 1: Hope Galvanized
Tannehill's time in Tennessee officially started on March 15, 2019, when the Miami Dolphins traded him along with a sixth-round pick for fourth and seventh-round picks. Tannehill and the Titans both were in eerily similar situations to where the team has been from March of this year until now.
The Dolphins were looking to go in a different team direction and wanted to move on from him, while the Titans had a quarterback issue of their own and were looking to provide competition. Tannehill would not be the starter going into the season, but Marcus Mariota would be on thin ice, and if he did not start well he would be replaced.
Lo and behold, that is exactly what would happen. The date was October 13, 2019, when Tannehill would see his first real action for the Titans, as Mariota was benched during a 16-0 loss to the Denver Broncos that put them at 2-4.
Mariota would go 7/18 for 63 yards and two interceptions, accompanied by an utterly atrocious 9.5 passer rating. It was just time to see what they had in Tannehill, and while the overall game would not end any better, he did alright, going 13/16 for 144 yards while unfortunately throwing a pick, ending with a 78.1 passer rating.
While Tannehill himself was far from perfect, the choice was clear, he had to be the starter heading into the next game. That is exactly what would happen, and to say it was a change for the better would be an understatement.
It would take a little bit to materialize, but the Titans not only turned around their offense, they flipped the script on their entire season. With him at the helm, the offense went from averaging a measly 17.5 points a game to an impressive 30.4 per contest.
Tannehill's individual numbers were borderline unbelievable, as in 12 games (10.5 for all intents and purposes), he recorded 2742 yards, 22 touchdowns to 6 interceptions, 4 rushing touchdowns, a 117.5 passer rating, and a 70.3 completion percentage.
His performance earned him AP Comeback Player of the Year, and the Titans would go an impressive 7-3 in the games he started. They went from 2-4 to 9-7 and while they had to fight for it until the end, they would end up making the playoffs as the final wildcard team in the AFC, and that is where the real magic would take place.
The Titans would ride the momentum into the postseason and advance all the way to the AFC Championship. During that run they would essentially end the dynasty of the New England Patriots, as well as stunningly dominating the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens and unanimous MVP Lamar Jackson.
Many will give the credit for that playoff run to Derrick Henry, and while he certainly did most of the heavy lifting, Tannehill was not without his contributions. He would throw some critical touchdown passes, passing for five of them altogether, throwing only one interception, rushing for a touchdown, and posting a 98.5 passer rating.
The impressive stretch would, unfortunately, be halted at the AFC Championship by the eventual Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs, but what was more important was that the Titans had legitimate reason to be excited for the future. That was pending a few key and looming decisions.
The Titans had some major free agents heading into the offseason and were just not going to be able to keep everyone. Two of the three major names on offense were Derrick Henry, and Tannehill himself.
Tannehill and the Titans looked at the time like they were building something special, but none of that was going to matter if they could not agree on a new contract. Luckily for both parties, what was seen up to that point was just the beginning.
Year 2: Legitimacy Established
The next chapter of the Tannehill era in Tennessee would begin on March 15, 2020, a year to the date from when he was acquired by the Titans. Whether or not it was going to be in Nashville, he was going to get a much-deserved payday after his recent performance, and it was indeed the Titans who ponied up.
Tannehill cashed in big time, signing a four-year contract worth $118M ($29.5M per year), with $62M of it fully guaranteed. To make matters better for the team, they and Derrick Henry reached a resolution on a new contract right before the deadline to sign franchise-tagged players.
It was official, the Titans were fully in on their core of players at the time and ready to play for the chance to hoist a Lombardi Trophy. Even though it cost them Jack Conklin, they had brought back the two players who were most responsible for their 2019 turnaround, and their window was now.
And man, would Tannehill and the Titans offense start out the 2020 season with a bang.
They picked up right where they left off to end the 2019 season, starting out 5-0 and looking like legit Super Bowl contenders. The offense was the star of the show, and Tannehill was not simply doing his job, he was dealing out there.
He threw for 3819 yards, 33 touchdowns to just 7 picks, a 106.5 passer rating, and a 65.5 completion percentage. His feet had to be respected as well, as he rushed for 266 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Tannehill was truly fun to watch, as he was throwing passes with precision and toughness in the pocket, while also being very careful with the football. He was not elite and you could say what you would about his limitations, but he was constantly putting the team in situations to win games, and the mix of reliability and timely plays resulted in an admirable performance on his part.
Aside from that, Henry became the eighth player all-time to rush for 2000+ yards in a season, and Tannehill had a bonafide wide receiver duo to help in AJ Brown and Corey Davis. Not to mention a brilliantly designed offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith, and it all resulted in one of the best offenses in Titans history.
They ranked fourth in total points with 491, trailing only the Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They also ranked third in total yards gained with 6343, trailing only the Kanas City Chiefs and Bills.
It was truly a renaissance year for the Titans and their offense, and it led them to their first AFC South title since 2008. They would play host to the Baltimore Ravens in a much-anticipated rematch from last year's playoffs, but unfortunately, it would not go in the Titans' favor.
The offense was simply not the same, as the Ravens managed to bottle up Henry, allowing just 40 yards on his 18 carries. Tannehill was not terrible in that game by any means, but he was far from great, throwing for just 165 yards, one touchdown, one interception at the very end, and posting an 83.0 passer rating.
It was a disappointing exit for the boys in the two-tone blue, but one game did not define them and their season. Unlike last year where you could argue they were just riding significant momentum, they and Tannehill put together a full season of high-level play, and they were to be respected yet again.
Even in a following offseason that was expected to have a significant amount of quarterbacks on the move, Tannehill was staying put, and that was a testament to how well he played in 2020. The Titans were absolutely running it back in 2021, and it would turn out to be with even more hype than they had coming into this one.
Year 3: The Turning Point
The Tennessee Titans, at least on offense, had almost the same team from 2020 heading into 2021. Their only big losses were Corey Davis to free agency, and Dennis Kelly was cut just one day after major signings started to occur.
Both of their voids had to be filled, and Kelly would be replaced internally by David Quessenberry. It took a while for them to find a replacement for Davis, but on June 6, 2021, it would happen by virtue of one of the most blockbuster trades in Titans history.
They would acquire future Hall of Fame wide receiver Julio Jones from the Atlanta Falcons along with a sixth-round pick while giving up second and fourth-round picks. And this was the move that was going to officially put the Tennessee Titans' offense over the top.
Derrick Henry was already a big enough threat in the backfield, but with Jones and another legit top receiver in AJ Brown, the Titans were going to have way too much star power for opposing defenses to handle. All Tannehill was going to have to do was just what he needed to do, and that was not a worry at all given how well he had played in 2020.
Unfortunately, it was not such smooth sailing for Tannehill and the offense this time around.
He was noticeably worse in 2021, and while his yards and completion percentage were not that different, everything else was. He threw only 21 touchdowns, and doubled his interception total to 14, and his efficiency, maybe his biggest strength, significantly declined, with his passer rating being 89.6
It was not just Tannehill's performance that hurt the Titans' offense in 2021, as injuries and ineffectiveness all over the offense contributed. The decision to replace Kelly internally was a mistake, as Quessenberry was bad, Taylor Lewan and Rodger Saffold were injured and just not the same, and Nate Davis started slow and battled COVID-19 during the season.
The prized acquisition of Julio Jones had been brought in with the concern that he was becoming injury-prone, and it did not get better in Tennessee. He dressed in only 10 games but in some did not play much, and only recorded 434 yards and one touchdown.
Even Brown was injured for a decent bit of the season and had a stint on IR during a late but very critical stretch of the season. But the true blow came in the form of losing Henry, as the reliably healthy stud running back suffered a Jones fracture that sidelined him for the final nine games of the regular season.
With the key injuries and Tannehill just not playing as he did the year before, the Titans offense often took a nosedive during the 2021 season. But Brown would return for the final three weeks of the season, and it was during that time when Tannehill started to regain his form from the 2021 season.
Despite all the troubles, the Tennessee Titans earned a 12-5 record and the top seed in the AFC, which was also a first since the 2008 season. And guess what, Henry was ready to return from his injury for their playoff game in the Divisional round, so there was a real belief that this team had a chance to go all the way.
And they did, but unfortunately would bow out at home to the Cincinnati Bengals 19-16 in that game on January 22, 2022.
For the momentum that Tannehill and the rest of the offense had going in the weeks beforehand, none of it would show in that game. And even his most avid defenders could not deny the truth of what happened -- he nearly singlehandedly cost the Titans the game and a chance to win a Super Bowl.
It was truly an abhorrent performance from the veteran quarterback, and the only statistic that mattered was his three interceptions. It was not even just that he threw them, one happened on the literal first play from scrimmage, and another happened on the Titans' last offensive play of the game.
You never want to put a team loss all on one guy, but if there was ever a time to do that, it was in this game. He crumbled in the most important moment of the season, and between that and his subpar regular season, there was no longer belief that he was capable of taking the Titans to the promised land.
They did seem like they were one elite quarterback away from going all the way, and the question immediately became how the Titans could get rid of and subsequently replace Tannehill. Well, due to contract restructures, if they were to cut him they would actually lose $18.8M of cap space, so that option was clearly off the table.
Maybe they could have tried to trade him, but they would have to attach draft picks to the trade, as well as taking on a new quarterback's salary, plus taking on $28.4M of Tannehill's cap hit while only saving $10.2M from his contract. There just would not have been enough assets to go around to make the Titans a contender even with an elite quarterback, so that option was off the table as well.
The only way they would have actually gained cap space was if they had traded him after June 1, but the cap space would not have actually been available until then. All of the top-tier free agents would be gone by then, and all of the quarterbacks on the move would have been on new teams by then, so going that route was useless and never even considered.
Whether or not Titans fans or even the team themselves liked it, Tannehill was here to stay, and the offseason would have to be planned around him being under center in 2022. It was known by then that if they wanted any chance to go far, they needed all of the help in the world around their quarterback, and it would not be made any easier for him.
Year 4: The Struggle Intensifies
The Tennessee Titans faced some critical decisions heading into the 2022 offseason. They had no choice but to try and compete, as Tannehill was still here and for his flaws, they were not finishing anywhere near the bottom with him in town.
They absolutely had to replace Quessenberry at right tackle, and also had to replace Saffold, who was one of the first players the Titans released. There was also a question of what to do with Lewan, and while he was the franchise left tackle, there were major questions about his health and effectiveness and was a prime candidate to be replaced.
Another big question was what to do with Julio Jones, but that one was answered pretty early on, as he was released near the beginning of free agency. Even for designating him as a post-June 1 cut, it was understandable on the Titans' part, as Jones was not healthy enough in his time in Tennessee, and could not be relied on to contribute even slightly.
His replacement was actually found just days later, as Jon Robinson would take advantage of a cap-strapped Los Angeles Rams team and acquire Robert Woods for a sixth-round pick. He was coming off of a torn ACL and was known to not be able to be a top receiver, but for that low of a price, how could Robinson say no?
The Titans had another receiver for Tannehill, but he would not get much more help on the offensive line. Lewan stayed put, Saffold was internally replaced by an undersized Aaron Brewer, and the right tackle spot was going to be a battle between two youngsters in Dillon Radunz and recently drafted Nicholas Petit-Frere.
That situation on the offensive line was far from ideal, but all of that was overshadowed by possibly the most regrettable decision in Titans history. AJ Brown, the stud wide receiver the Titans never previously had but needed to pay soon, was traded on draft night for a first and third-round pick.
It was at that point that Tannehill and the rest of the offense did not stand a chance anymore. Robinson drafted Treylon Burks with the 18th overall pick to fill that void, but for a team that was in win-now mode, with a quarterback who needed every bit of quality help to succeed, it was a huge and irresponsible gamble to take.
Even if Burks' eventual conditioning issues were not a thing, it was a very tall order for a rookie receiver to be anywhere on Brown's level. With the questionable personnel on offense and a suspect offensive coordinator in Todd Downing, literally, everything would have to go right for this offense and team to be a threat.
That did not even come close to happening, but it is not like Tannehill himself was actually bad at all. He was a mixed bag in 2022, as his overall production was nothing amazing, but the way he was actually playing games was good.
He only completed 13 touchdowns, threw for 2536 yards, and ran for two touchdowns, but he protected the football with only six interceptions and had a solid 94.6 passer rating. He was still an efficient quarterback as usual, and note that it was an improvement on last year's passer rating.
But with the group around him, Tannehill had to be elite and not just efficient, and of course, he clearly was not. It was ugly, and it was reflected in that his most productive receiver could only muster 527 yards for the entire season.
The receivers were injured and ineffective, the same exact issues were magnified on the offensive line, including with Lewan, and the less said about Todd Downing's play calling the better. Derrick Henry was still great, as he was the league's second-leading rusher at 1538 yards, and he had a career year receiving with 398 yards.
It was of course a step back from what he was at his very best, but with that offensive line, plus his age, plus all the other problems on offense, it was simply unattainable. Henry was Tannehill's only reliable weapon to work with, but that is not even getting into his biggest issue in 2022: his ankle injuries.
He suffered a high ankle sprain in late October that knocked him out for two games. He would come back from that one, but in mid-December suffered an even worse one that put him on season-ending IR.
Through everything, the Titans would start out 7-3, mostly due to their defense, but it would quickly fall apart. The injuries piled up on a team that did not have top-end talent to begin with, and the white flag on the season was essentially waived in the form of a decision that sent shockwaves throughout the NFL, let alone just the Titans organization.
On December 6, two days after AJ Brown and the Philadelphia Eagles dominated the Titans 35-10, Jon Robinson took the fall for his many brash moves. He was fired with five whole weeks remaining in the season, and once that happened and Tannehill suffered his second injury, the Titans were finished.
They lost seven consecutive games to end the year at 7-10, as the all-but-decided AFC South was eventually taken by the Jacksonville Jaguars. They missed the playoffs, and it would start a series of rumors of which players could be on the way out, including Tannehill, Henry, and even Kevin Byard.
The 2022 season just felt like the end of everything for this version of the Titans, and newly hired GM Ran Carthon appeared to have a lot of unpopular decisions ahead of him. The talk was loud and clear, but it proved to be largely premature, at least for the moment in time.
Year 5: The Clock Strikes Twelve
As the 2023 offseason began, all we had heard about was that the Titans were getting ready to blow up their team and start over. Aside from the rumors about Tannehill, Henry, and Byard potentially being on the way out, certain stalwarts like Ben Jones and Taylor Lewan were cut early on.
The signals were well out there, but ultimately, Tannehill, Henry, and Byard would stay, thus temporarily stopping the talk of a full-on rebuild. The Titans would even go out and sign DeAndre Hopkins, whose talent level and career accomplishments speak for themselves.
Even if he was on the wrong side of 30 and not quite his old self, Hopkins was still playing high-level football and someone whose presence alone would elevate the team. The Titans were ready to give it one last go with their current core plus a shiny new weapon for Tannehill, but the offense still had a tall task ahead of them.
And the biggest reason for that was because of the situation on the offensive line. The Titans were replacing almost every starter from 2022, with the only returner being Aaron Brewer, who would play at a different position.
Plus, Tannehill and Henry were continuing to age, as well as a proven good but new offensive coordinator in Tim Kelly taking over play calling. There was plenty of reason to hope that this unit could bounce back, but it would once again take everything to go right, which of course has not happened.
The offensive line has been even worse than most people anticipated. Andre Dillard has been an outright disaster at left tackle, first-round pick Peter Skoronski has only played three games due to an appendectomy, and the other three guys overall have been inconsistent at best.
Really the only things that have gone right are the run game with Henry and electric rookie Tyjae Spears, and Hopkins himself. Kelly has had several creative play calls and gotten good results from them, and the Titans have actually moved the ball downfield on several occasions.
But they have struggled in the red zone, and overall, Kelly just has not been able to elevate the subpar talent on the field like would be needed. And for Tannehill himself, it sucks to admit but the dude is just finished.
In the first game of the year in New Orleans, he was unwatchable, throwing zero touchdowns to three interceptions, and posting a 28.8 passer rating. His only actual good games have been in the two at home, but overall, it has just been a terrible season for Tannehill.
His mobility is not good anymore, and he has thrown just 1128 yards, two touchdowns, six interceptions, and a 71.9 passer rating. No matter how you slice and dice it, those numbers are nearly impossible to defend.
And now, he is dealing with a high-ankle sprain that left him on crutches after the game in London. He almost certainly will be unavailable for the coming game, and given the team's record, plus the fact that they just traded Byard, there is just no point in trying to salvage the season.
Who knows if this is the last snap Tannehill has played for the Titans, as there is a lot of season left and time for him to get healthy. But once again, that matter is inconsequential given that the organization has all but given up on the season.
It is unfortunately with much conviction that we can now say that the Ryan Tannehill era, for all intents and purposes, is over for the Tennessee Titans.
Conclusion
The Ryan Tannehill era will go down as a very polarizing one for the Tennessee Titans. He provided a spark of hope in the first few years but ultimately failed to lead this team where they wanted to go, which was winning a Super Bowl.
Ultimately, hoisting a Lombardi is the only thing that really matters as it pertains to team success, and the fact that he was not good enough to do so is something that his defenders like myself will have to live with. But let's take a step back and realize that what he accomplished in Nashville is nothing to scoff at.
Tannehill passed for 13959 yards, 91 touchdowns, and just 39 interceptions in about four total years starting. His overall passer rating of 98.0 goes down as first among all starting quarterbacks in Titans history to this date, so overall, his individual performance was arguably the best of any quarterback who has played in Tennessee.
Aside from that, the overall team had some of the most success they have ever had with Tannehill as starting quarterback.
Under him, the Titans had appearances in two AFC Wildcard games, two AFC Divisional games, and one AFC Championship appearance. They also won two AFC South titles, and easily would have had a third straight had he not gotten injured in 2022.
Just as a reminder this team had not won their division since 2008 before they won it in 2020 with Tannehill.
Lots of Titans fans do not want to hear this, but that is quite a good tenure of accomplishments for any quarterback. As much as it might be cliched, the reality is that winning in the NFL at all is hard, and while he did not win the ultimate prize, Tannehill won way more than he lost in Nashville.
Once again, none of this is saying he was elite, that is not who he is or ever was expected to be. But you can be very solid without being elite, and for as high of expectations as we have developed for NFL starting quarterbacks, Tannehill accomplished way more than many in the NFL have ever been able to.
I truly implore Titans fans to let go of recency bias and realize how fortunate they were to have Tannehill. Under him, they truly had hope when they had endured nothing but pain and frustration for about a decade beforehand, and no hope or playoff wins ever happen if he is not under center.
If Tannehill is under center again this season, he truly deserves all the support from the fanbase, as he has given it everything he has had and then some, and shown great toughness, especially through the injuries.
No matter what happens from here on out, he deserves all the love and appreciation for his contributions to a Titans team that legitimately had a chance to win it all. Thank you for everything 17, thank you for re-igniting an all but broken fanbase and one of the most fun and most memorable stretches in Titans history, and hang your head high for the value of your contributions.