The Tennessee Titans are one of the few teams in the league who could draft the unequivocal best quarterback in his college class (Miami's Cam Ward) at No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, yet still roll into the season with some uncertainty on the depth chart thanks to some extremely unfortunate injury news.
Backup quarterback and former No. 34 overall selection Will Levis will miss the entire 2025 season, as he underwent surgery on his throwing shoulder. The market for veteran backups is thin, as Carson Wentz and Tyler Huntley are leading the charge over there.
Having been unsigned since being released by Tennessee, it's not unreasonable for Ryan Tannehill to immediately pop up in the minds of Titans fans. He needs a job, he's made some great memories with this franchise, and Tennessee could stand to add a backup.
Tannehill might have more pedigree than most of the other veterans out there in the free agent pool, but given where the two parties are right now, signing Tannehill to back up Ward wouldn't be a perfect situation for the team or the veteran QB.
Titans shouldn't pursue Ryan Tannehill reunion after Will Levis injury
Tannehill did not sign with a team in 2024, which he tried to justify as waiting for the right situation with a contender. However, no one was willing to sign up for the Tannehill experience, which leaves him much closer to retirement than working his way back into the fold in Titans navy blue next season.
Tannehill hasn't had a season with more touchdown passes than interceptions since 2022, and he will turn 37 in just a few days. In a year where Tennessee isn't expected to win many games irrespective of how Ward performs, the fit doesn't seem ideal for both Tannehill personally and the Titans as a team.
If this is it for Tannehill's career, he can take solace in the fact that he carved out a tremendous time in the NFL after some early sputters in Miami. Splitting his time in the pros almost equally between the Dolphins and Titans, Tannehill has just under 35,000 passing yards, 243 total touchdowns (216 passing), and one of the greatest individual seasons in Titans franchise history to his name.
The Titans may end up keeping Allen as the unquestioned backup. It's not the best situation in the world, but it's certainly less chaotic than bringing back Tannehill for another go-around.