Ryan Tannehill and Tennessee Titans Ink a 4-Year Deal Worth $118 Million

Ryan Tannehill and the Tennessee Titans have signed a four-year contract worth $118 million. This is the biggest news of the day in the NFL, and arguably the first blockbusting deal of the offseason, even though it didn’t officially start.

The franchise from Nashville was allegedly planning to go after Tom Brady, but recently, the situation changed. Earlier today, the news broke out that the Titans are pushing strong to close the deal with Tannehill.

Eventually, ESPN’s Jeff Darlington announced on his Twitter account that the two parties reached an agreement. He also shared the information about the financial sides of the deal. Tannehill will have $62 million fully guaranteed, and $91 million in total guarantees.

Tweets by JeffDarlington

In 2020 $17.5 million are guaranteed, 2021 $24.5 million are guaranteed, and in 2022 $29 million are guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed on the 5th day of the 2021 season.

Tannehill arrived in Nashville at the start of the previous year, when he and the 2019 sixth-round pick were exchanged for a 2020 fourth-rounder and a seventh-rounder. The Miami Dolphins, where he spent seven years, decided that it is best to move on from one of their projects, which turned out to be a big bust in the end.

However, the 31-year old shined in Tennesse after getting a chance to play. Mike Vrabel was in a similar position with Marcus Mariota like the Dolphins were with Tannehill, and Titans’ head coach benched the former Heisman Trophy winner in Week 6 against the Broncos. A week later, Tannehill started, and the team defeated the LA Chargers 23-20.

Ultimately, the team from Nashville ended up in the playoffs, where they eliminated the New England Patriots, preventing them from defending the title. After that the No.1 candidates for the Super Bowl ring Baltimore Ravens were routed, before being eliminated in the AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Tannehill had a massive impact on all these successes. He led the league in passer rating with 117.5, and had 70.3% of pass completion. He posted 22 touchdown passes and 6 interceptions, with four rushing TDs. In total, Titan’s QB had 2.742 yards thrown. During the playoffs, Tannehill had 5 TD tosses and one rushing score, with two interceptions.

All in all, he had a wonderful season, and the fully deserved the Pro Bowl invitation, for the first time in his career. Tannehill was also named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

This is going to be the perfect chance for him to shut down all the critics he’s been facing for so long. From being labeled as a bust and an overrated player, up to getting traded in a pretty unpleasant way, Tannehill was constantly under pressure. With Mike Vrabel, there isn’t such a thing, and for the first time, we saw RT relaxed, creative, and, most of all, efficient.

He had massive help from the arguably best running back in the competition Derrick Henry, and he wisely used the fact that rivals didn’t focus too much on him during the crucial moments.

After becoming one of the highest-paid players in the league, we can expect from Tannehill to experience pressure. Yet the way he played recently, it seems that there won’t be any problems at all.