Getty Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had Kyle Trask in place as the franchise’s backup quarterback since selecting him in the second round out of Florida in 2021. He played behind Tom Brady for his first two seasons and then in 2023 behind Baker Mayfield.
Trask has zero bona fides when it comes to playing in the NFL. No starts. No pressure situations. No touchdown passes, even.
In three seasons, Trask is 3-of-10 passing for 23 yards in 3 games.
Now, with a fortune invested in Mayfield and a bevy of other offensive weapons, The Draft Network’s Justin Melo proposed a more secure backup quarterback option for the Buccaneers with free-agent quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
Tannehill signed a 4-year, $118 million contract with the Tennessee Titans in 2020 and is an unrestricted free agent after first being injured then benched in favor of rookie Will Levis in 2023.
“Former Los Angeles Rams and Kentucky Wildcats offensive coordinator Liam Coen is the new OC, replacing the Carolina-bound Dave Canales,” Melo wrote. “Tannehill is a significantly better fit to operate Coen’s offense than current backup Kyle Trask. Coen runs a variation of the West Coast Offense that Tannehill played in under Matt LaFleur, Arthur Smith, and Todd Downing in Tennessee. Trask’s time in Tampa is running out.”
Tannehill’s Career in Flux After 11 Seasons
Tannehill has been in this situation before — discarded by one team and looking for a chance with another.
The No. 8 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, Tannehill signed a 4-year, $77 million contract extension with the Dolphins in 2015 but was unceremoniously traded to the Titans in 2018 to serve as a backup for former No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota on a 1-year, $7 million contract.
Tannehill took over as the starter for Mariota for the final 10 games of the 2019 season and guided the Titans to the AFC Championship Game, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. Tannehill was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year and made his only Pro Bowl, but the real reward came in the offseason with a 4-year, $118 million contract.
If that career path sounds familiar, it’s essentially the same path Mayfield took on the way to securing a 3-year, $100 million contract with the Buccaneers after leading them to the NFC South Division title in 2023 — discarded by one team then becoming a star and landing a huge payday with another.
What Happens if Mayfield Goes Down With Injury?
Mayfield has been surprisingly durable during his six seasons in the NFL and is prone to play through injuries.
He started all 17 games for Tampa Bay in 2023 and only missed three games due to injury during four seasons with the Cleveland Browns after they selected him No. 1 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
With an improved offensive line in front of him thanks to the addition of first-round pick Graham Barton at center, Mayfield could be even more protected. But if he were to go down, there’s a team around him that could still win with the right backup in place.
With an estimated value of a 1-year, $7.7 million contract according to Spotrac, getting Tannehill might end up being a solid investment for the Buccaneers.