Ryan Tannehill Contract Details With Titans Are Staggering and There's No Way He's Worth That Much
By Michael Luciano
Ryan Tannehill only started 13 games for the Tennessee Titans last year, but the organization saw enough in the former Miami Dolphins signal-caller to declare him the team's franchise QB in the years to come.
Tannehill reportedly agreed to a new four-year contract with the Titans that will pay him $118 million total, an average of $29.5 million per season, and $91 million in guarantees.
Ryan Tannehill has agreed to terms on a new four-year contract with the Titans, per source. Here’s the numbers:
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) March 15, 2020
$118m total
$29.5m average per year
$62m full guarantee
$91m total guarantee
BIG deal for Tannehill!
It's amazing what happens as soon as you leave Adam Gase.
Let's be clear: in a vacuum, Ryan Tannehill is not worth $30 million per season, even after leading the NFL in passer rating in 2019. However, given the lack of realistic quality options on the free agent market and the fact that the quarterback talent in the upcoming draft falls off a cliff after the first three or four prospects, the Titans' hands were tied here.
Would you like one year of decrepit Tom Brady, a washed-up veteran like Andy Dalton, or a guy who lead the NFL in passer rating?
Even if he came at a very exorbitant price, Tannehill was the only logical option for the Titans, even if he commanded a price higher than what they surely would have preferred to pay.
Here’s more numbers on Ryan Tannehill’s deal, per source:
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) March 15, 2020
2020 is $17.5m fully guaranteed.
2021 is $24.5m fully guaranteed.
2022 is $29m guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed on 5th day of 2021 league year.
2023 is $27.5m base.
The Titans firmly believe that Arthur Smith and Mike Vrabel are both coaching savants -- and they're also betting on the idea Tannehill is capable of being a top-10 quarterback. His average annual salary, for the record, places him seventh among NFL QBs behind only Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, Jared Goff, Carson Wentz, and Matt Ryan.
This might end up looking like one of the worst QB contracts of all time in a couple years' time, but it also as the potential to take the Titans to the Super Bowl. 2020 and 2021 will be truly interesting seasons in Nashville, to say the very least.