The quarterback position has been one the Tennessee Titans just haven’t been able to properly address over recent years.
But they seem to have finally found their guy in Ryan Tannehill, whom they recently signed to a four-year, $118 million contract extension.
Former Houston Oilers quarterback and Hall of Famer Warren Moon recently spoke to Titans Wire about Tannehill, who recorded a career year when he took the reins for the Titans in 2019.
“Ryan just kind of had a rebirth,” Moon told me this week. “He’s been put in a system that I think is better suited for him than what he had in Miami. It’s more a running back-dominated system where he’s not the guy that has to carry the team. But he’s definitely capable of making big plays with his arm.”
The play-action approach on offense has worked well for Tennessee, and running back Derrick Henry has had a large impact on what Tannehill and the offense can do.
“(Tannehill) is going to have better opportunities on the outside, because people are so worried about stopping the run that there’s a lot of big-play opportunities on the outside,” Moon said. “I think he fits perfectly into what they want to do there with play-action, not only from the pocket, but he also has the ability to get outside on the perimeter and throw the ball on the run. He’s a really good athlete, and he can run the football with his legs if he needs to as well.”
What Tannehill did after he was named the starter in Week 7 last year was impressive — no one is arguing with that.
He finished the season with a completion percentage of 70.3 percent and threw for 2,742 yards, 22 touchdowns and just six interceptions over 10 starts and a pair of appearances.
He was also named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year and led the NFL in yards per attempt (9.6), adjusted yards gained per pass attempt (10.2), yards per completion (13.6) and passer rating (117.5).
Still, it’s easy to understand why some have their doubts about Tannehill. He was largely underwhelming in Miami, and struggled with consistency.
There were factors that contributed to some of Tannehill’s misfortune.
“It just wasn’t the right fit for him in Miami,” Moon said. “They had coaching changes, and he also had a major injury. I also think he’s at that stage in his career where he understands the league, understands what his strengths and weaknesses are now.”
So what if 2019 was no more than a fluke, and Tannehill falls back into his old ways?
Moon doesn’t necessarily see that happening.
“Sometimes quarterbacks go to a team and it doesn’t work out and they need a different address, a different environment. I think this has been a good one for Ryan.”
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