Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill has enjoyed quite the resurgence with his performance during the 2019 NFL season. Although he has emerged into the unquestioned leader of this team heading into the AFC Championship Game, it seems that was not always the case.

Tannehill admits that becoming the leader on offense has been quite a process. via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk:

“It’s a little bit of a slow process,” Tannehill said. “You don’t want to come in guns blazing and shake the boat too much. It’s just a matter of being myself, leading in my own way, encouraging guys, trying to press this offense, press each and every person, build relationships and try to get the most out of every guy. Every guy is a little different, how you talk to him, how you handle him and hold him accountable, every guy is a little different. So it’s a matter of building those relationships, learning each and every guy, and then trying to push and get the best out of our guys.”

Starting the season as a backup gave Tannehill an opportunity to get better acquainted with his new teammates.

“I got to kind of be a fly on the wall for a few weeks there and see how guys responded to adversity and to positive things, and really learn about them,” Tannehill said.

After wearing out his welcome with the Miami Dolphins to start his career, Ryan Tannehill appears to have found a home with the Titans. Despite his struggles in Miami, he still opted to bet on himself by signing a one-year deal to come in as a backup to quarterback Marcus Mariota.

While the initial decision may have carried some risk, it is safe to say that it ultimately panned out for Tannehill after taking full advantage of his new opportunity. He now has a chance to compete or a trip to the Super Bowl when the Titans hit the road to square off against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship.

he process may have been a grueling one, however, Ryan Tannehill has now managed to show all the qualities of what made him a potential franchise quarterback in the first place.