Analyst says NFL team should make trading for Titans QB Ryan Tannehill a 'priority' this summer
The 2023 season is expected to be Ryan Tannehill's last with the Tennessee Titans. Tannehill's contract expires after the 2023 season and there's almost zero chance he'll be back in Nashville in 2024. In fact, it's not a certainty that Tannehill will even play in Nashville in 2023. For now, the expectation is that Tannehill […]
The 2023 season is expected to be Ryan Tannehill's last with the Tennessee Titans.
Tannehill's contract expires after the 2023 season and there's almost zero chance he'll be back in Nashville in 2024.
In fact, it's not a certainty that Tannehill will even play in Nashville in 2023.
For now, the expectation is that Tannehill will be the Titans' starting quarterback this fall. Tennessee drafted Liberty quarterback Malik Willis in 2022 and they drafted Kentucky quarterback Will Levis in last month's draft. But the offense will belong to Tannehill in 2023.
Unless there's a trade.
While a trade involving Tannehill would be a surprise — there aren't a lot of suitors for a soon-to-be 35-year-old quarterback — there's at least one scenario where it could make some sense.
NFL.com's Marc Hessler, a co-host on the "Around the NFL Podcast", thinks the Atlanta Falcons should consider trading for Tannehill this summer.
The Falcons are coached by former Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. And Smith coached Tannehill during the quarterback's two best seasons with the Titans (2019 and 2020).
Hessler thinks trading for Tannehill should be the Falcons' "top priority" ahead of the 2023 season.
From NFL.com: The Falcons bear the mark of a rough-and-tumble, fun-to-watch offense. Sign me up for Sunday afternoons starring Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier bashing their way through cowed defensive fronts. Heavy spending on both sides of the ball has this roster ready to compete in a weakened NFC. Ownership on down has backed the concept of Desmond Ridder at the motherboard, but he remains a projection. I remain attached to the idea of Atlanta swinging a trade with Tennessee for Arthur Smith's pal Tannehill. One of the game's grittier passers would fit right into an offense that has the feel of Titans 2.0.
Atlanta could probably get Tannehill for fairly cheap. But if the Titans trade Tannehill it pretty much signals that the franchise is punting the division in 2023 and going full rebuild mode, something they've been reluctant to commit to doing.
Trading Tannehill would likely mean that Levis would start as a rookie. It might not be a bad idea for the Titans. They could quickly get a read on whether or not Levis has franchise quarterback potential. At best, he surprises as a rookie and the Titans win the weakened AFC South. At worst, he fails spectacularly and the Titans end up with a top-five draft pick. It's a win/win for Tennessee.
It feels like the Titans have been treading water over the last couple of years. Perhaps now is the time to dive into the deep end of the rebuild pool.
