AFC team emerges as potential trade partner for Titans QB Ryan Tannehill
As the offseason approaches, rumors regarding the NFL's quarterback carousel will begin to swirl. To nobody's surprise, there are about a dozen teams around the league with question marks surrounding their quarterback situation for 2023 and the Tennessee Titans and Ryan Tannehill are among them. Tannehill carries a cap hit of $38.6 million in 2023, […]
As the offseason approaches, rumors regarding the NFL's quarterback carousel will begin to swirl. To nobody's surprise, there are about a dozen teams around the league with question marks surrounding their quarterback situation for 2023 and the Tennessee Titans and Ryan Tannehill are among them.
Tannehill carries a cap hit of $38.6 million in 2023, a number far bigger than what his production would suggest he's worth at this stage of his career. Should the Titans cut Tannehill prior to free agency, the team can save $17.8 million off that number against the cap this season, but would be tasked with finding his replacement.
It now seems as if there is a third option at play for Tennessee's QB dilemma.
Reports from SportsNet New York (SNY), a reputable New York sports network, suggest that the New York Jets could be in play to trade for Tannehill. SNY's NFL insider Connor Hughes reported on Tuesday morning that "there’s a feeling around the NFL that the Jets are much higher on (Tannehill) than some want to believe."
Reports make it clear that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is still on top of the Jets' wish list for 2023, followed by former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.
That said, Rodgers is still a mystery that clouds every quarterback rumor. Everybody wants him, but it's unclear if Rodgers is even interested in playing football next season. Carr, on the other hand, will receive significant interest from a handful of teams on the free agent market, but the New Orleans Saints currently seem to be the favorite.
If the Jets were to miss on both of those guys atop their list, Tannehill and Jimmy Garoppolo are their next rumored targets.
Either way, the Jets need to find a veteran QB for 2023 and the Titans need to figure out what they are doing with Tannehill sooner rather than later. If they are going to make a play for Carr, Rodgers, or to move up in the draft, quicker is better.
Trading Tannehill away, regardless of the compensation in return, would have to feel like a win for Titans fans no matter how you feel about him as your quarterback. Tennessee saves money while getting some draft picks back in a hypothetical trade this season and could fully invest in surrounding the next guy with the necessary weapons to be successful.
No matter how you slice it, Tannehill is not a $38.6 million player, and that number will continue to handicap the Titans in their effort to build a winning roster around him.
Image via Andrew Nelles-USA TODAY Sports
