Getty Head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos.
The Denver Broncos have stood pat after cutting Russell Wilson, subjecting him to the annual quarterback carousel in free agency.
That has left them set to enter the season with Jarrett Stidham as QB1. Perhaps they add a rookie to at least provide competition in training camp. But a veteran addition could also be in order given how little experience the quarterback room is shaping up to have.
CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin suggests the Broncos sign former Tennesse Titan Ryan Tannehill.
“Denver has yet to add a quarterback this offseason, and while an early draft investment would be logical, Tannehill offers an experienced arm best suited to play within a system — just as Sean Payton desires,” Benjamin wrote on March 18. “At 35, he’s a low-ceiling rental, sure, but the best alternative in Denver right now is Jarrett Stidham.”
Tannehill completed 64.8% of his passes for 1,616 yards, four touchdowns, and seven interceptions for the Titans in 2023.
He made eight starts in his 10 appearances, the fewest of his career in either category.
The Titans benched Tannehill in favor of 2023 second-round pick Will Levis going into Week 8 after the bye. After notably suggesting it wasn’t his responsibility to mentor 2022 third-round pick Malik Willis ahead of that season, Tannehill took a softer stance after the change to Levis.
#Titans QB @ryantannehill1 on learning the news of @will_levis being named the starter.
Said it’s “hard”, but he’s going to be a good teammate.
Tannehill was under center in three more games, starting twice from Weeks 16 through 18 to end the season.
He completed 70.8% of his throws for 488 yards with two touchdowns and one pick in that span.
Originally selected with the No. 8 overall pick in the draft in 2012 by the Miami Dolphins, Tannehill has made $195.9 million in career earnings, per Spotrac. That includes the four-year, $119 million contract extension he signed with the Titans in 2020.
The one-time Pro Bowler’s 4.5% career touchdown rate ranks 16 out of 23 quarterbacks to attempt at least 3,000 passes since 2012, per Stathead.
Ryan Tannehill’s Fit With Sean Payton, Broncos
GettyRyan Tannehill #17 of the Tennessee Titans.
“It seems most of the options Denver looked closest at in recent weeks are younger players,” the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel wrote on March 19. [Brian] Hoyer is 38, Tannehill 36 and [Carson] Wentz 31. So far the Broncos have avoided adding a player just to add one. But even if they draft a guy in the first round, it’d be a surprise if that was their only addition.”
Tannehill could fit the profile of what the Broncos may be looking for from an experience standpoint.
He also finished with the seventh-quickest time to throw in 2023, per NFL Next Gen Stats.
“Tannehill … could still be a bridge starter to a young quarterback,” Pro Football Focus wrote. “Tannehill is a good athlete who wins off play action and with solid intermediate accuracy on rollouts to both the right and left. His pressure-to-sack rate has been too high for a few years now, but in his defense, he’s been operating behind a very porous offensive line with a pass-catching corps that does not create quick separation.”
Ryan Tannehill Could Be Cost-Effective Option for Broncos in Free Agency
GettyRyan Tannehill #17 of the Tennessee Titans.
PFF ranked Tannehill as the No. 70 overall free agent. But he was the third-best quarterback behind Kirk Cousins (Atlanta Falcons) and Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers). Those rankings did not include Wilson, whom Denver officially released on March 13.
PFF also projects Tannehill to land a two-year contract worth $15 million with $10 million in guarantees. That would rank 29th in average annual value.
Spotrac lists the Broncos as having $20 million in cap space.
Bringing Tannehill in could make sense, particularly if the Broncos draft a quarterback. If they roll with Stidham, then it might make sense to find another reclamation project to work with instead. That way the front office can eye the 2025 offseason for a new QB1.