The Tennessee Titans have agreed to an extension with quarterback Ryan Tannehill, according to multiple reports. Apparently, the Titans are ready to commit to Tannehill for the foreseeable future, for better or (more likely) for worse.
They inked a four-year deal worth up to $118 million, per ESPN’s Jeff Darlington. These nominal figures don’t always tell the whole story of the contract. The reality of Tannehill’s deal is that it’s closer to a three-year deal with a fourth-year team option. Over the first three years, he will make $71 million in guaranteed money. In the fourth year, he’ll be due $27.5 million in base salary.
It’s a huge deal, which could quickly prove to be a huge mistake. Tannehill got hot for 10 games to finish the regular season, with a 70.3 completion percentage, 2,742 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. Surely, the Titans anticipate he can maintain that high level of play. But if he cannot — much like Blake Bortles and Nick Foles did not — then Tannehill’s deal could deliver three years of misery in Tennessee. It seemed like a franchise tag would be a safer play. Because it was such a huge risk, NFL fans roasted the Titans on Twitter.
— Steven Ruiz (a lifelong DC Defenders fan) (@theStevenRuiz) March 15, 2020
Imagine paying $30 million a year for a 31-year old Ryan Tannehill after he had one good half season https://t.co/FzNrPy73s5
— Matt Minard (@IlluMINARDI) March 15, 2020
Ryan Tannehill is getting paid WHAT NOW??? https://t.co/ZhaY4YbKiv
— Russell Varner (@rvarner) March 15, 2020
I’m not saying Tannehill *is* Bortles/Foles, but seems like an overpay for a guy who made a deep playoff run but is only an average QB
— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) March 15, 2020
https://twitter.com/msully_94/status/1239267537591943169
😂😂. Good for Tannehill. https://t.co/CHuyAsWA16
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) March 15, 2020
Titans should have tagged Tannehill to make him show he can do it again. If Henry walked, he walked. He's a back with a lot of carries.
— Pete Prisco (@PriscoCBS) March 15, 2020
The Titans seem interested in placing the franchise tag on Derrick Henry for 2020, which essentially puts him on a one-year, $12 million deal. The Titans want to run back the clock to do what they did in 2019. It’s just that they want to pay their key players significantly more than they did in 2019.
What could go wrong?
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