It seems as if former Pro Bowl quarterback Ryan Tannehill has played his final game with the Tennessee Titans. The 35-year-old veteran is slated to become a free agent after this season. He’s also currently sidelined with an ankle injury.
In Tannehill’s stead Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, rookie Will Levis put up one heck of a performance. The second-round pick from Kentucky completed 19-of-29 passes for 238 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions in an amazing debut.
For the 3-4 Titans, it makes sense to continue rolling with Levis to see if he can be the long-term solution at quarterback.
The backdrop here is Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline and the fact that several teams now have needs at quarterback. Could the Titans opt to move Tannehill within the next couple days? We think so. Below, we look at three ideal trade scenarios for the veteran signal caller.
Related: NFL QB rankings after Week 8
Minnesota Vikings make move for Ryan Tannehill
This is pretty much the most obvious potential landing spot. Vikings starter Kirk Cousins suffered what appears to be a season-ending torn Achilles in Sunday’s win over the division-rival Green Bay Packers.
With Minnesota now at 4-4 on the season, it is not going to give up on playoff aspirations with the team in the midst of a three-game winning streak. Rookie fifth-round pick Jaren Hall replaced Cousins under center on Sunday, completing 3-of-4 passes for 23 yards in the win. He’s too inexperienced to be seen as someone who can help the Vikings moving forward on the season. Tannehill makes too much sense if the asking price from Tennessee isn’t more than a mid-round pick.
Related: NFL trade deadline, news and rumors for all 32 teams
New York Jets find Zach Wilson some competition
Much like Minnesota, the Jets are not giving up on the season despite the Achilles injury Aaron Rodgers suffered back in Week 1. New York defeated the Giants on Sunday in overtime. It was among the ugliest games of the season with the final score being 13-10. Wilson completed a mere 17-of-36 passes for 240 yards in the win.
- Ryan Tannehill career stats: 64% completion, 34,393 yards, 214 TD, 114 INT
Despite some recent struggles (2 TD, 6 INT this season), Tannehill could provide competition for Wilson moving forward. With the Jets at 4-3 on the season, they are clearly in the AFC Playoff picture. Does the team really want to put all of its cards on Wilson to improve? We’re not too sure.
San Francisco 49ers land Ryan Tannehill
After an absolutely brilliant start to his career, second-year quarterback Brock Purdy has taken a step back during San Francisco’s ongoing three-game losing streak. This span has seen him turn the ball over six times, including three giveaways in Sunday’s 31-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
San Francisco only has Sam Darnold on the 53-man roster behind Purdy. It’s not an ideal scenario for a team that looked like legitimate Super Bowl contenders just a few weeks back. At the very least, Tannehill would provide the 49ers with a competent backup behind Purdy. At this stage in his career, we’re not sure Darnold is that.