If the struggling Tennessee Titans are to earn a spot in the NFL Playoffs, they will have to do so without starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
Ahead of Thursday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, Tennessee placed Tannehill on injured reserve due to an ankle issue he’s been dealing with over the past few weeks.
Tannehill had already been ruled out for Thursday’s game with veteran journeyman Josh Dobbs getting the start over rookie Malik Willis.
In reality, this could be the end of the line for Tannehill in Nashville. Tennessee can move off the struggling former Pro Bowl signal caller while saving nearly $18 million against the 2023 NFL salary cap.
- Ryan Tannehill stats (2022): 65% completion, 2,536 yards, 13 TD, 6 INT
Tannehill, 34, is slated to count a whopping $36.6 million against the cap in 2023. With the Titans now in the midst of a five-game losing streak and as injury-plagued as they come, it would not be a surprise if we’ve seen the last of this former Pro Bowler in a Tennessee uniform.
From a broader team-wide perspective, Tennessee finds itself at 7-8 on the season and tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars for first place in the AFC South. Regardless of what happens Week 17, the season finale between these two teams will decide who wins the division. Right now, things are trending in Jacksonville’s direction. That’s for sure.
As for Thursday’s outing against Dallas, it was a surprise to learn that Dobbs would get the start over Willis. He was just picked up off the Detroit Lions’ practice squad a week ago and has thrown all of 17 regular-season passes since the Pittsburgh Steeles selected him in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
As for Ryan Tannehill and his future, the injured reserve designation means he’ll miss at least the two final regular-season games and two playoff matchups should Tennessee advance that far.