The Music City Savior

By Timothy An

When you think of the top five quarterbacks in the National Football League, you instantly think of players like Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, and Deshaun Watson. One name you will rarely hear is the starting quarterback for the Tennessee Titans, Ryan Tannehill. Ever since being named the starter in Tennessee, Tannehill has proved that he belongs in this conversation, putting up numbers on par with other elite quarterbacks in the NFL. Below are the statistics of some of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL, since Tannehill was named starting quarterback of the Titans.

Ryan Tannehill: The Wide Receiver

Ryan Tannehill had 112 receptions for 1,596 yards and 10 touchdowns as a receiver at Texas A&M. (Matt Slocum/AP)

Most football fans know Ryan Tannehill, from his days with the Miami Dolphins, but what many fans don’t know is that he played wide receiver for most of his college career. Tannehill played football for the Texas A&M Aggies, redshirting his freshman year. In his second year, he lost the quarterback competition to both Stephen McGee and Jerrod Johnson, leading the Aggies coaching staff to switch Tannehill's position to a wide receiver. He ended his rookie season with 844 receiving yards, even breaking freshman records with 12 receptions for 210 yards in his fifth game. In his second season, he once again lost the starting quarterback job to Jerrod Johnson, putting him at wide receiver for the second consecutive year. Tannehill led the team in receptions with 46, along with 609 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He received an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honor for his performance and proved to be a capable wide receiver at the collegiate level, but his objective of being a starting quarterback was not over.

Ryan Tannehill: Starting Quarterback for the Texas A&M Aggies

Ryan Tannehill began his junior season determined to win over the starting job from Jerrod Johnson, but once again, lost this competition and was put at wide receiver for the first six games of the season. After suffering three consecutive losses at the hands of Oklahoma State, Arkansas, and Missouri, the Aggies coaching staff decided to have him split quarterback duties with Johnson in the 7th game of the season against the University of Kansas. Tannehill impressed the coaches, completing 12 of his 16 pass attempts for 155 yards and three touchdowns. He was named the starter the next game, and led the Aggies to a 45-27 upset victory over Texas Tech, throwing for a school-record 447 passing yards along with 4 touchdowns and 1 interception. The next game was against the 11th ranked team in the nation, the Oklahoma Sooners. This Sooners team featured a plethora of future NFL players in QB Landry Jones, RB Demarco Murray, WR Kenny Stills, and DB Tony Jefferson. Unfazed, Tannehill came out and led the Aggies to a huge upset victory, 33-19, skyrocketing the Aggies into the Top 25. Tannehill went on to win three more games, including an impressive victory against 9th ranked University of Nebraska. He ended the season losing to 11th ranked LSU in the Cotton Bowl, but proved that he was worthy of being the starting quarterback for his senior year. In his senior year, the Aggies went 7-6, but Tannehill still impressed NFL scouts with his leadership, mobility, and high-character. 

Ryan Tannehill: The NFL Prospect

The 2012 NFL draft had two top quarterback prospects in Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, destined to be the first two picks in the draft. However, Tannehill was slotted in as the third-best quarterback and was a hotly debated topic amongst draft analysts about his potential to be worthy of a top-15 pick. Scouts were enamored by his prototypical 6’4, 222-pound frame. He was an excellent athlete and had their arm strength to be a top-tier NFL quarterback. However, the drawback was that he had a lack of experience and only played a season and a half as starting quarterback. Many draft analysts graded him as a second-round prospect, but due to the demand for quarterbacks, he was drafted 8th overall by the Miami Dolphins. 

Ryan Tannehill: Quarterback for the Miami Dolphins

Tannehill was named starter Week 1 for the Dolphins but was overshadowed by the outstanding rookie year performances of Andrew Luck (Colts), Robert Griffin III (Redskins), and Russell Wilson (Seahawks). The 2012 draft class is looked back upon as one of the strongest quarterback classes of the past decade, featuring Luck, Griffin, Wilson, and Tannehill, along with Nick Foles, Case Keenum, Brock Osweiler, and Kirk Cousins. Due to the success of Luck, Griffin, and Wilson, all being named to the pro bowl in their rookie season, Tannehill was lost in their shadows and never was able to catch the attention of the public. Tannehill ended his stint with the Dolphins, holding a record of 42-46. His performance wasn’t bad during his time with the Dolphins but wasn’t necessarily impressive either as he averaged 232.2 yards per game, 1.4 touchdowns per game, and 0.85 interceptions per game. 

Ryan Tannehill was drafted by the Dolphins 8th overall in the 2012 draft. (USA TODAY Sports)

The Dolphins traded Tannehill and a 6th round pick to the Titans for only a 4th and 7th rounder. (USA TODAY Sports)

Ryan Tannehill: Quarterback of the Tennessee Titans 

After being named starting quarterback, Tannehill had an explosion in his performance statistically. He increased his yards per game by 40 yards, had about one more touchdown a game, and cut his interceptions per game statistic by half. He helped lead the Titans to the AFC championship game and was a pro-bowler. The Tennessee Titans currently sit atop the AFC South with a record of 5-1 and are looking like one of the best teams in the AFC. Mike Vrabel, coach of the Titans, has found a way to bring out the best in Tannehill, and Tannehill is proving to be a top quarterback in the NFL. 

Ryan Tannehill: A Top 5 Quarterback

When many people think about Tannehill, they think about the draft bust who never had a winning season with the Miami Dolphins. They think about the 8th overall pick who was replaced by Josh Rosen and Ryan Fitzpatrick. They think about the quarterback who was drafted ahead of Russell Wilson. What people fail to realize is that quarterbacks can develop, they can improve, and the offensive system/team they are on can have a big impact on this. I believe Tannehill was always a good quarterback, just on the wrong team. We see time and time again when great quarterbacks are on the wrong team and fail, while bad quarterbacks are on a good team and flourish. We see it now with Deshaun Watson, considered a top quarterback by all, yet sits at 1-6 with the Houston Texans. We also see it with quarterbacks like Jared Goff, not considered the most talented quarterback, but is in an offensive system that allows him to excel. Tannehill is now in a great franchise that understands what offensive system needs to be put in place to allow him to excel. I think people need to stop thinking about his past with the Dolphins and think about who he is now. The Tannehill of old is not the Tannehill of now, and Ryan Tannehill has now emerged into a top 5 quarterback in the National Football League.

Follow Timothy on Twitter @timothyan1