Getty The Seahawks are a potential destination for Ryan Tannehill after 2022.
The Seattle Seahawks could eventually be interested in one of the more notable veteran quarterbacks in the NFL.
As noted by Paul Kasabian of Bleacher Report, the Seahawks could emerge as a potential trade destination for Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill. In this hypothetical scenario, the Seahawks would emerge as a suitor for Tannehill following the 2022 season.
Kasabian mentions the Seahawks — along with several other teams — as potential suitors for Tannehill following Tennessee’s third-round draft selection on Liberty quarterback Malik Willis.
“Tannehill does have a cap number of $36,600,000 for 2023 that would need to be addressed, but a team with 2023 cap room to burn looking for a solid quarterback could be interested,” says Kasabian.
“The Seahawks, whose QB future is in limbo after the Russell Wilson trade, could potentially be interested,” Kasabian continues. “At the very least, they have the sixth-most effective cap space in the NFL, per Over the Cap.”
Following the selection of Willis — a quarterback that was frequently linked to the Seahawks heading into the draft — the Titans left open the idea of the rookie quarterback eventually emerging as the starter.
“We want them all to compete for starting roles,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “Everybody wants the corner office and to live on the top floor. That’s what you try to do in professional sports.”
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Why Seahawks Could be Viable Option for Tannehill
The 33-year-old Tannehill has a guaranteed cap figure of $29 million for the 2022 season. That cap figure makes him virtually unmovable and it’s unlikely Seattle would pursue the veteran quarterback prior to the 2022 season.
However, the idea of acquiring him after 2022 becomes a realistic one. That’s when Tannehill carries a salary of $27 million during the final year of his deal entering 2023.
After the Seahawks passed on drafting a quarterback during the first three rounds of the NFL draft –they had multiple opportunities to draft Willis, Matt Corral and Desmond Rider — it looks like they’re set on going with Geno Smith and Drew Lock heading into the 2022 season.
If that’s the plan, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if Seattle were to finish with one of the worst records in the league. Smith hasn’t served as a full-time starter since the 2014 season, while Lock disappointed in his lone season as a starter, leading the league in interceptions (15) during the 2020 campaign.
In that scenario, the Seahawks could emerge with the No. 1 overall pick, which would enable them to select a QB in a far better draft class for quarterback prospects in 2023. That’s when Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Alabama’s Bryce Young will likely be available.
That would seem to be the Seahawks’ go-to plan as they enter a rebuilding year in 2022. However, if the Seahawks somehow overachieve with Smith and Lock as its quarterbacks and are out of the running for Stroud and Young, Tannehill becomes a possible option.
Tannehill’s Ceiling as a QB
The veteran quarterback has led the Titans to annual playoff success since emerging as the starter midway through the 2019 season. In his first year, he led the Titans to the AFC Championship Game. More recently, he led Tennessee to the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
However, Tannehill has been plagued by a lack of playoff success. The Titans have been one-and-done over the past two seasons and it appears there’s a ceiling with him as a starting quarterback.
If Willis can pick up the offense quick and emerge as a viable starter by the end of the 2022 season, the idea of Tannehill being acquired by the Seahawks becomes an option.