Fantastic Deal: Ryan Tannehill, quarterback, signs a $118 million contract with the Steelers.
This offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers might find themselves in the midst of the quarterback market.
Renowned signal callers like Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins will be a better option than Kenny Pickett. But the Steelers want someone to challenge Pickett, not a seasoned player who will push him to the sideline all the time.
However, there could not be any competition at all for other free agent choices like Marcus Mariota and Tyrod Taylor.
One free agent quarterback who could both compete with Pickett but not demand the starting job is veteran Ryan Tannehill.
Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton argued that the Steelers should re-sign Mason Rudolph and consider adding Tannehill as well.
Pittsburgh should cut Mitch Trubisky, who struggled in spot starts this past season, re-sign Rudolph and consider signing Ryan Tannehill to push Pickett for the job,” wrote Moton.
In addition to Tannehill, Moton also argued the Steelers could consider signing Jacoby Brissett or Drew Lock.
Tannehill signed a four-year, $118 million contract with the Tennessee Titans ahead of the 2020 season.
How the Steelers and Ryan Tannehill Could Fit Together
Tannehill seems to be the most sensible choice out of the three free agency choices Moton outlined.
In July, Tannehill turns 36. He is therefore much older than Brissett and Lock, although he has more league experience. Tannehill has an 81-70 record in starting 151 NFL games. With a completion rate of 64.3%, he has averaged 7.3 yards per attempt, 216 touchdowns, and 115 interceptions.
In his career, he has also won two postseason games.
In the NFL, Tannehill might still start games. He thus becomes Pickett’s rival. In the near term, Tannehill could be a respectable starting option behind centre if he outperformed Pickett in the preseason.
But at his age and given that he lost his starting job this past season, Tannehill would probably be a natural fit as Pickett’s backup too.
Tannehill’s best statistical season came in 2019 when he began the year as a backup quarterback for the Titans. He replaced Mariota for the final 10 games, leading the Titans to a 7-3 record. He threw 22 touchdowns with only 6 interceptions while averaging 9.6 yards per attempt.
In the playoffs, Tannehill led the Titans to the AFC championship game.
Could the Steelers Sign Tannehill & Mason Rudolph?
Moton listed several interesting free agent quarterback options for the Steelers. But his most intriguing suggestion was the idea that Pittsburgh could sign a quarterback such as Tannehill after bringing back Rudolph.
Rudolph is set to be a free agent, but head coach Mike Tomlin expressed that the organization would like for him to return in 2024.
The Steelers also still have Mitch Trubisky under contract. However, it would be very surprising if Pittsburgh doesn’t cut Trubisky.
Even without Trubisky, though, two veteran quarterbacks with Pickett could make for a crowded quarterback room.
Extra depth isn’t usually a bad thing. Pittsburgh’s depth behind center gave the team Rudolph as an option in late December.
But one could also argue Rudolph could have started instead of Trubisky sooner if the Steelers had just the former as the team’s backup instead of both signal callers.
It’s also worth wondering if Rudolph and Tannehill would be interested in joining the Steelers together knowing that one of them will probably be the team’s emergency No. 3 option. Both are likely to at least receive an opportunity to compete for a backup role in 2024.
