Could the Patriots bring in Ryan Tannehill for a year?

Some teams in the NFL believe Ryan Tannehill is available. Could the New England Patriots make a move for the veteran quarterback?  With the transition that the Tennessee Titans are going through right now, it does make sense to perhaps part ways with Ryan Tannehill, who has led them to some of the best success they’ve seen in years.

Tannehill, 35 in July, has spent the past four seasons with the Titans, compiling a 36-19 record.  During that time, he’s thrown for 89 touchdowns, 33 interceptions, and earned a passer rating of 100.5.

His production has dipped considerately the past two seasons, but it seems like that was largely due to the departure of former offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who is now the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

Anyway, a report from Jeremy Fowler of ESPN suggests the Titans could be looking to move on from Tannehill:

His cap hit for 2023 is $36 million, and there’s simply no way the Titans or another team is going to have that type of number on their books, especially for a 35 year old quarterback.  What appears most likely to me is that the Titans end up cutting Tannehill and perhaps turning the reigns over to a quarterback they select in 2023.

Could the New England Patriots have interest?

Could the Patriots bring in Ryan Tannehill for a year?

I don’t think it’s an outrageous suggestion to make at all.  Tannehill would bring 150 games of experience.  He’s also shown to be a more prolific passer than Mac Jones, and does have recent playoff experience under his belt.

He’s likely a strong leader in the locker room and could be a nice stopgap solution for one year.  I think a big reason why this could make sense for the Pats is because the coming 2023 season appears to be a crucial one.  I think large changes are on the horizon if the Pats yet again fail to make the playoffs.

Bill Belichick might be entering his last year in the NFL, and doesn’t seem too interested in pursuing someone like Lamar Jackson.

Tannehill, if cut, might present a more desirable situation for the Pats.  If he plays well and helps the Patriots get into the playoffs, perhaps making a run, great!

If not, the Pats could position themselves nicely for a high draft pick in 2024.  The same scenario could probably play out with Mac Jones, but given Tannehill’s experience over Jones, I’d think that the Pats might prefer the Titan over the current Patriot under center.

This could then open a scenario where the Pats look to trade Mac Jones, perhaps receiving a mid round pick back in the deal.  That mid round pick could even be packaged with other picks and even players to make a big move up in the 2023 NFL Draft to select a long-term quarterback.

What if Anthony Richardson falls a bit?  Wouldn’t a QB room of Ryan Tannehill/Anthony Richardson be more desirable than Mac Jones/Bailey Zappe?  I think so.