Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh making an audible during an NFL game.
The New York Jets are going to be in the quarterback market in 2023.
One name that could make sense is Tennessee Titans veteran Ryan Tannehill. After the 2022 season, he will have one more year left on the mega four-year $118 million contract he signed back in 2020.
The final year in his contract is for a non-guaranteed $27 million in 2023 that could “easily be restructured or extended”, per Mike Herndon. He listed the Jets as a team that would “probably love to have” him on their roster next season at that price point.
Teams that would probably love to have Tannehill for $27M non-guaranteed that could easily be restructured or extended:
Jets
Panthers
Saints
Commanders
Giants
If teams were willing to give up two 3rds for Wentz and one 3rd for Ryan last offseason, there will be a taker for RT.
Why Would Titans Trade Ryan Tannehill to Jets?
The Titans fired their general manager Jon Robinson on Tuesday, December 6. Tennessee has been wildly successful during his tenure and that has been highlighted by this current Tannehill era.
Tennessee has had six consecutive winning seasons and at 7-6, it appears that streak is set to continue. However, they have been stuck in a level of purgatory: too good to land a top draft pick but not good enough to win a championship.
There is a real belief around the league that the Titans could choose to hit the reset button this offseason which in theory would make Tannehill an available quarterback option.
The 34-year-old originally entered the league as the No. 8 overall pick in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft.
He found some success with the Miami Dolphins early but hit a new gear when he was traded to the Titans in 2019:
- 33,100 passing yards
- 212 touchdowns to 107 interceptions
- 64.3 percent completion percentage
Details on a Potential Ryan Tannehill Jets-Titans Trade
Herndon used the Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan trades as a basis for a potential Tannehill deal in 2023.
Wentz went for a pair of third-round picks in a trade between the Indianapolis Colts and the Washington Commanders. While Ryan went for just a single third-rounder in the Atlanta Falcons-Colts deal.
If that is the level of compensation it would be surprising if Jets general manager Joe Douglas wasn’t interested in at least kicking the tires.
Tannehill is a solid quarterback and quite frankly that is all the Jets are looking for. While a Patrick Mahomes-level quarterback would be spectacular, with how this roster is constructed, the Jets just need someone that can drive the bus.
The uber-athletic Tannehill has proven capable of that role over the last batch of years and still has gas left in the tank.
If the Jets pulled the trigger on a deal like this it could be a short-term band-aid for the present and immediate future and it wouldn’t come at a prohibitive cost.
Right now the only quarterback under contract for the Jets in the 2023 season is Zach Wilson. Tannehill in theory could be the starter while the former BYU product continues to develop.
In a perfect world, Tannehill is the quarterback through next season and then Wilson steps in during the 2024 campaign. Or maybe some veteran competition is the proper kick in the butt that Wilson needs to realize his full potential and he emerges as the starter in 2023.
There are an endless amount of possibilities but we know one thing for sure, the Jets are going to have to make some type of move in the quarterback room this offseason.