Quarterback Ryan Tannehill played so well down the stretch in 2020 that the following sentence reportedly has some validity: The Tennessee Titans could pursue Tannehill long-term over signing Tom Brady.
That's per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, who helped to break down some of the mental and physical math surrounding the Titans' quarterback situation.
From @NFLTotalAccess: While the world waits (for the CBA, for Tom Brady), the #Titans remain focused on QB Ryan Tannehill and trying to keep him long-term. pic.twitter.com/cnr1hoMxeT
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2020
Brady has become the prized jewel of the free-agent market, as his tenure with the New England Patriots is as perilous as it has seemingly ever been. His hitting the open market, even at age 42, has drastically altered how many franchises are operating this off-season — but it appears Tennessee is not included in that group.
Theoretically, the organization could sign Tannehill to a long-term deal and then opt to have him back up Brady if they agree on a one-year pact with the six-time Super Bowl champion. But that's a lot of money invested in the quarterback position, and it would seem odd to immediately slam the breaks on the progress that Tannehill has made, having been named NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
The connection between Brady and Titans head coach Mike Vrabel makes a ton of sense from their time together in New England. As does the fact that the Titans boast one of the league's top running backs, Derrick Henry, who would keep the veteran from having to throw downfield for the entirety of the game. While Tannehill looked terrific down the stretch in 2019, Brady could be the piece to put the franchise over the hump in '20.
But still, Tannehill and the Titans seem destined to run this back for at least one more year in 2020, Brady and his Hall of Fame career notwithstanding.
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