Getty Ryan Tannehill of the Tennessee Titans
One of the top signal-callers is reportedly off the market, and NFL free agency hasn’t even yet begun. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Tennessee Titans and quarterback Ryan Tannehill have agreed to terms on a contract extension that will keep the quarterback in town for the long haul.
Follow the Heavy on Fantasy & Betting for all the latest betting news, odds, and picks
Tannehill Lands $118M Contract
Shortly after news broke of Tannehill securing an extension with the Titans, we quickly found out that he had secured the bag in the process, a $118M bag to be exact. Per, ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, under Tannehill’s new four-year contract, the quarterback will make $29.5M annually, with $62M fully guaranteed and $91M total guaranteed.
This is Tannehill’s second massive payday during his seven-year playing career. He notably inked a $96M deal as a member of the Miami Dolphins back in 2015, $45M of which was guaranteed.
Tannehill is coming off a career resurrecting season with the Titans. He overtook Marcus Mariota as QB1 on Tennessee’s depth chart in Week 7 of 2019 and never looked back. The Titans once-putrid passing attack exploded, serving as a key reason for the team ripping off six 30+ point outings over a 13-game span.
Tannehill finished last season with career highs in completion percentage and quarterback rating, while leading the Titans to the AFC Championship game.
Tannehill’s superb play earned him Pro Football Focus’ Comeback Player of the Year, while finishing the season with the best overall PFF grade of any quarterback (92.5).
QB Free Agency Market Takes a Hit , But Still Strong
While the reports of Tennessee not being interested in Tom Brady ultimately proved to be true, the Titans opting to stick the course with Tannehill under center certainly causes the quarterback free agency market to take a hit.
Still, there are numerous potential franchise-altering signal-callers to be had on the open market. While Brady is obviously the cream of the crop, names such as Teddy Bridgewater and Philip Rivers will likely entice numerous suitors once the new season begins. Not to mention quarterbacks such as Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill (restricted free agent), and even Marcus Mariota to a certain degree, will likely pique the interest of franchises with their potential.
The legal tampering period of free agency kicks off on Monday, March 16th, in which teams are allowed to negotiate with impending free agents. The official start of free agency kicks off at 4:00pm ET, March 18th, the same time the new NFL year begins.
READ NEXT: Tom Brady’s Top Landing Spots in Free Agency