Going into Training Camp 2021, QB Ryan Tannehill has resurrected his career with the Tennessee Titans. With Tannehill under center since 2019, the Titans have made two playoff appearances, played in the AFC Championship Game, and won an AFC South Division title. Oh, and he is also in year two of a 4-year contract worth $118 million.
Not too shabby for a guy who was a dual-threat quarterback in high school, and didn’t win the starting job at Texas A&M until midway through his junior season.
High School (2004-2006)
Tannehill played for Head Coach Tim Holt at Big Spring High School. His athleticism allowed him to play multiple positions during his prep career: QB, WR, DB, and Punter. During his sophomore season (2004), he played 10 games at defensive back.
In 2005, his junior season, he passed for 1410 yards and rushed for 822 yards, while also playing some at wide receiver. He earned 2nd Team All-District 4-4A.
During his senior year in ’06, Tannehill passed for 1258 yards and rushed for 617 yards, earning 2nd Team All-District 4-4A. He also averaged 39 yards per punt. His longest punt was 84 yards vs Estacado.
Tannehill was named to the Rivals.com Texas Top 100. He was rated as the #21 dual-threat quarterback in the country.
Texas A&M (2008-2011)
After battling for the quarterback job at Texas A&M his freshman season of 2008, Tannehill switched to wide receiver. He caught 55 passes for 844 yards and five touchdowns. 15 of those catches went for 20 yards or more.
His high game came against Kansas State: 12 receptions, 210 yards, 1 TD.
For his efforts, his teammates voted him the team’s MVP. He also earned 1st Team All-Academic Big 12.
In 2009, he played 13 games at wide receiver and three games at quarterback. He made 46 catches for 609 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Finally, in his junior season of 2010, Tannehill won the starting job at quarterback midway through the season after playing 30 games at wide receiver. He completed 65% of his passes for 1638 yards and 13 touchdowns.
His first career start at QB that season was against Texas Tech, and he did not disappoint. Tannehill threw for 449 yards and four touchdowns, on 36 of 50 passing.
Then, in his senior year of 2011, Tannehill had a breakout year. He passed for 3744 yards and 29 touchdowns, and 15 INTs. He also rushed for 306 yards and four more scores. His 29 TD passes ranked 3rd in the Big 12 Conference.
Tannehill was selected in the 1st round (8th overall) by the Miami Dolphins in the 2012 NFL Draft.
The Pros (2012-Present)
During his rookie season of 2012, Tannehill passed for 3294 yards, 12 TDs, and 13 INTs. His best year in Miami were 2014 and 2015, where he combined for 8253 yards, 51 TDs, and 24 INTs.
In 2019, he was traded to the Titans. It was there that the switch was flipped. With RB Derrick Henry running like a bulldozer with legs, Tannehill passed for 2742 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 6 INTs. The Titans went to the playoffs as a wild card and all the way to the AFC Championship Game. The Titans lost to the Chiefs 35-24.
Tannehill is a 10-year veteran of the NFL and was named the Comeback Player of the Year in 2019. He also led the NFL in QB Rating with 117.5.
In 2020, Tannehill passed for 3819 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 7 INTs (on 481 pass attempts). He posted a QB Rating of 106.5. The Titans won the AFC South with an 11-5 record and went to the playoffs, losing to the Ravens in the first round.
Earlier this year, the Titans traded for WR Julio Jones. Now, with Tannehill calling the signals, Henry running over people, and both Jones and A.J. Brown running pass routes, the Titans look to be a playoff contender once again.
Going into his 3rd season with the Titans, Tannehill earned a Top Ten ranking (#8) among all the quarterbacks who played in 2020.
Tony Thomas is a freelance writer. He also writes about college football on his own website, www.thegridironnews.com.
