It's been a rollercoaster of a last six days for Tennessee Titans' quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

Tannehill injured his ankle and was carted off in last Sunday's 17-14 loss to the LA Chargers following linebacker Khalil Mack landing on his right foot in the Titans' first drive of the game. Tannehill returned to the field with a heavily taped ankle to finish the contest, giving a brief glimmer of hope that the quarterback would not miss any time from the injury.

The 34-year-old later learned that the ankle injury would necessitate surgery, keeping him out of Week 17 but avoiding the injured reserve and still questionable to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the team's final regular season game.

But it looks like the final nail in the coffin of Tannehill's season was laid on Saturday, after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Tannehill will not play again this regular season and is “unlikely” to return in the postseason, according to a league source.

There was hope that if not the regular season, Tannehill would at least be able to suit up for the AFC South leading Titans in the postseason, but it no longer looks like that is the case for the dynamic quarterback following surgery.

Without the prospect of Tannehill's return in the regular season, the 7-7 Titans will now have to rely on rookie quarterback Malik Willis to lead them to an AFC South title and secure a playoff spot.

Ryan Tannehill will be entering the final season of his four-year, $118 million deal next campaign; the Titans could free up as much as $27 million against the 2023 cap by releasing him, and this ankle injury certainly complicates the situation.

The Titans have lost four games in a row heading into a divisional matchup with the abysmal Houston Texans on Saturday afternoon, now sporting just a half game lead over the surging Jaguars.

The Titans will welcome the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17 on Thursday Night Football, before taking on those same Jaguars in Florida in a Week 18 contest that could decide the AFC South.