Ryan Tannehill's absence at Tennessee Titans offseason program is nothing more than bad optics
NASHVILLE — Quarterback Ryan Tannehill was not in attendance on Monday when the Tennessee Titans opened their offseason program. Commonly known as "Phase 1," this portion of the football calendar is optional for all players. Whether any team-related activities should be optional for Tannehill after the way Tennessee's season ended is an entirely different question for […]
NASHVILLE — Quarterback Ryan Tannehill was not in attendance on Monday when the Tennessee Titans opened their offseason program. Commonly known as "Phase 1," this portion of the football calendar is optional for all players.
Whether any team-related activities should be optional for Tannehill after the way Tennessee's season ended is an entirely different question for Titans fans.
Titans players met with assembled media to discuss that very subject. January's 19-16 Divisional Round home loss to the Cincinnati Bengals still carries a very fresh sting for Tennessee fans. Tannehill's three interceptions in that game will forever be the lasting memory associated with that outcome, fairly or not.
Tannehill's redemption narrative is not fading away
There is no practical reason that Tannehill must attend Phase 1 of the offseason.
Over the course of the next two weeks, NFL clubs are limited to four total hours of work a day. Only strength and conditioning activities ("dead ball") are conducted on the field with a maximum of 90 minutes of field work allowed. Players can spend the remainder of that allotted daily time lifting, rehabilitating, etc.
None of that is going to keep Tannehill from turning the ball over in critical moments down the stretch of next year. The only thing the quarterback stands to gain from attending any voluntary portion of the offseason is a desperately needed public relations win. The way the Titans choked away the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs earlier this year with Tannehill at the helm will have his every decision and movement heavily scrutinized.
Yes, Tennessee's quarterback situation (Tannehill and beyond) deserves careful examination once meaningful reps are there to be taken. Day 1 of team activities in April are low on the relevancy scale.
Why are other Titans vets attending, then?
For one, guys like safety Kevin Byard and center Ben Jones call Nashville home in the offseason.
Logistics are easy to coordinate with teammates and, if players in the area are going to condition and rehab anyways, they might as well do it at the facility together. Tannehill resides in Florida during the NFL's down time. One can forgive Tannehill and any other NFL veteran who is not ready to depart their family and offseason homes for 90 minutes a day of conditioning drills.
The Titans return at least six of their 11 starters from 2021 and offensive coordinator Todd Downing. Newly acquired wide out Robert Woods is not through rehabilitating last year's torn ACL and running mate A.J. Brown is not in attendance for Phase 1, either. It is utterly foolish to think that Tannehill and Brown's connection will suffer by both sitting out Phase 1.
For those shouting about Tannehill needing to spend time with new Tennessee passing game coordinator Tim Kelly, only strength and conditioning coaches are allowed on the field with players in Phase 1.
One need look no further than the star receiver's outing and his quarterback's 3rd Down efficiency in a 20-17 win against the San Francisco 49ers after Brown was lost for a month due to injury last year.
There will be a time to analyze Tannehill's every word and action. April 18 is far too soon to do anything but explore potential replacements in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Featured Image: USA TODAY Sports.
