Getty Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have built a team that should be able to go toe-to-toe with anyone in the NFL.
Almost everywhere on the field, there’s depth. Except for one key spot.
If quarterback Baker Mayfield goes down, Tampa Bay’s season could go down with it. Which means they should shell out some extra money to make sure they have the best insurance policy available right now at the position — free agent quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
Tannehill would likely cost the Buccaneers somewhere in the range of $5 million to $7 million on a 1-year contract — in line with his projected market value on Spotrac. While signing Tannehill would take some salary cap finesse, life without Mayfield could be a disaster for Tampa Bay.
Current Tampa Bay backup quarterbacks Kyle Trask and John Wolford have proven to not be viable backup options over the years.
The Buccaneers drafted Trask in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft but after two seasons as Tom Brady’s backup decided he wasn’t ready to be the starter and signed Mayfield to a 1-year, $4 million contract before the 2023 season.
Mayfield turned in the best season of his career in 2023, making the Pro Bowl for the first time and playing his way into a 3-year, $100 million contract.
Tannehill Might Still Have Gas in the Tank
The No. 8 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins out of Texas A&M, Tannehill signed a 4-year, $77 million contract extension with the Dolphins in 2015 but was unceremoniously traded to the Tennessee 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.
Ryan Tannehill’s “Finger Roll” is iconic in Nashville. One of the better QB touchdown celebrations of all time. #Titans
Mayfield One of NFL’s Most Durable Quarterbacks
Mayfield has been surprisingly durable during his six seasons in the NFL and is renowned for his toughness and willingness 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.
The Buccaneers have fortified the offense around Mayfield to make him even more protected in 2024, underlined by drafting plug-and-play offensive lineman Graham Barton out of Duke in the first round (No. 26 overall) of the 2024 NFL draft and signing two-time NFL All-Pro offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs to the biggest contract for an offensive lineman in NFL history.
But you don’t get an insurance policy for planning on if everything goes according to plan. You get them for when things go off script.
Enter Tannehill.
“Once the darling face of the scrappy Tennessee Titans, Tannehill has managed just 20 ugly starts since 2022, battling injuries and turnover sprees behind a crumbling O-line,” CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin wrote in March 2024. “Before that, he resembled prime Jimmy Garoppolo with the San Francisco 49ers: solid enough as a play-action game manager to lead playoff runs, but more dependent on his supporting cast than most. A few clubs could still try to squeeze what QB1 potential he has left, but he’s probably best suited as a high-level fallback plan.”
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