Sports
Ryan Tannehill Reportedly ‘Is Not Leaving the Titans’ Amid Contract Rumors
Nick Wass/Associated PressRyan Tannehill was named the 2019 AP Comeback Player of the Year on Saturday night, and ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported Sunday morning on NFL Countdown that the 31-year-old quarterback is expected to come back to the Tennessee Titans for 2020. “I checked in with a source yesterday who said succinctly he is not leaving the Titans,”…
Nick Wass/Associated Press
Ryan Tannehill was named the 2019 AP Comeback Player of the Year on Saturday night, and ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Sunday morning on NFL Countdown that the 31-year-old quarterback is expected to come back to the Tennessee Titans for 2020.
“I checked in with a source yesterday who said succinctly he is not leaving the Titans,” Mortensen said.
Tannehill is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Miami Dolphins traded their 2012 eighth overall pick to Tennessee last March. The Texas A&M product took over as the Titans' starting quarterback for the benched Marcus Mariota in mid-October.
The Titans were 2-4 with Mariota, drafted second overall in 2015, under center but were revitalized with Tannehill running the offense. In early December, ESPN's Turron Davenport relayed how effective Tannehill had been:
“Tannehill's 72.7 completion percentage is second only to New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and it's not the result of dink-and-dunk passes. He owns an NFL-high 9.1 yards per pass attempt. The only two quarterbacks to finish a season with a completion percentage of at least 70 and at least 9 yards per attempt are Joe Montana (1989) and Sammy Baugh (1945).
“The Titans are the No. 1 red zone scoring offense since Tannehill took over. They're scoring touchdowns on 71.8% of their red zone visits. While a lot of that has to do with running back Derrick Henry‘s scoring ability, Tannehill's 67% red zone completion percentage is the fourth in the NFL, and his 90.4 Total QBR in the red zone is the fifth, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.”
Tannehill's performance led to Tennessee clinching a wild-card spot at 9-7 and then upsetting the reigning champion New England Patriots and top-seeded Baltimore Ravens before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs 35-24 in the AFC title game.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Jan. 4, before Tennessee's impressive postseason run, that the team was committed to Tannehill:
Ian Rapoport @RapSheet
From @NFLGameDay: The #Titans want QB Ryan Tannehill back in 2020, so expect a franchise tag or a contract extension for one of this season's breakout stars. https://t.co/5oCFZdFjaM
Tannehill thanked the Titans organization for “believing in me, giving me an opportunity” while accepting Comeback Player of the Year at the NFL Honors ceremony:
NFL on ESPN @ESPNNFL
Ryan Tannehill is grateful for his past experiences 🙌
(via @thecheckdown)
https://t.co/5Rkn0SXQtk
Tannehill finished the regular season with 2,742 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions on a career-best 70.3 completion percentage across 12 games (10 starts).
Mariota is set to hit the free-agent market this offseason, which will free up space for a long-term investment in Tannehill. However, 2019 regular-season rushing champion Derrick Henry figures to demand a lucrative contract this offseason as well.
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