Titans GM sets the record straight about Ryan Tannehill
Tennessee Titans GM Ran Carthon clarifies his marquee comments about the future of QB Ryan Tannehill with the Titans.
Tennessee Titans General Manager Ran Carthon made headlines across NFL media on Tuesday after his comments from the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine about Titans' starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
Carthon fielded a number of questions regarding Tannehill's status during his Tuesday afternoon press conference, and when asked very directly if he was committing to Tannehill for the 2023 season, Carthon said the following:
"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," Carthon said.
It didn't take long for that quote to spread like wildfire, appearing everywhere from social media to NFL Network with most people interpreting Carthon's statement as a hard commitment to Tannehill next season.
While it's entirely possible that Tannehill returns to Tennessee as the starting quarterback for 2023, Carthon's comments should not be taken as anything more than a very literal reiteration of the Titans' reality.
After all, Ryan Tannehill is under contract for next season. He is a Titan, and until a move happens to release him or trade him, he will continue to be a Titan. Nowhere in Carthon's press conference did he definitively say Tannehill would be the quarterback next season, he simply clarified that Tannehill remains under contract and is not currently a free agent, despite how it may seem from the high volume of questions about his potential departure.
Carthon is now setting the record straight, clarifying his stance on Tannehill and reacting to the media response while visiting with Buck Reising on 104.5 The Zone.
"When it comes to Ryan (Tannehill)…Ryan's done a great job, Ryan's won a lot of games. I already saw passing on one of the screens that I said 'Ryan's a Titan he's gonna be here forever' or whatever," Carthon said, rolling his eyes at the headlines about his comments from Tuesday.
"I would just say from a news cycle perspective, whoever said that he wasn't going to be here? Mike's never said that. Amy's never said that. No one has ever heard me say that. So, to constantly answer these questions around Ryan's status I personally don't think is fair to him and that's why I said that in my press conference," Carthon told Reising. "Ryan's under contract. No one from our side has ever said that he wasn't going to be here, so that narrative was created outside of our building."
Carthon is right. Nobody with the Titans organization has said that Tannehill would not return next season. But nobody has denied the possibility either. Fans and media members are simply looking over Tannehill's cap hit in 2023 and the Titans' salary cap constraints, and making the logical conclusion that Tennessee could wind up in the quarterback carousel.
The Titans' GM went on to say he wanted to be "mindful and respectful" of Tannehill during this time and that he "did not want to or care to" continuously answer questions about his starting quarterback.
"We're not going to negotiate in public. We're going to keep family business in the family and when we're ready to make an announcement, we will," said Carthon.
The Titans have options this offseason. They have the option to bring back Tannehill and play out the remainder of his deal. They have the option to restructure Tannehill's contract and lower the cap hit for 2023. They have the option to trade up in the draft and select a rookie quarterback. They have the option to bring in a veteran like Aaron Rodgers or Derek Car via trade and free agency.
Tennessee is at a crossroads as a franchise with a healthy number of paths available to them. Tipping their hand in a late February press conference helps absolutely nothing. As Carthon said, the Titans are going to continue doing "family business within the family."
Until a move is made or the Titans name Tannehill as their starter, everything remains on the table and the QB drama will continue.
Feature Image via Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
