Vikings Reportedly in Talks with Veteran QB
The quarterback carousel has been quite crazy in Minnesota. Sam Darnold, the crown jewel of free agency, signed a new deal with the Seattle Seahawks. Simultaneously, two other passers departed, with Nick Mullens for Jacksonville and Daniel Jones for Indianapolis.
Vikings Reportedly in Talks with Veteran QB
That leaves only a couple of passers on the roster. J.J. McCarthy is expected to take over the reins as the club’s QB1, and Brett Rypien, last season’s QB3, re-signed earlier in the offseason.
What’s missing is a backup option in case McCarthy needs time on the bench due to injury or subpar performance. Numerous QBs have already found new homes in free agency, but it looks like the Vikings are circling back to one prominent candidate.
According to Jordan Schultz, the franchise has held talks with former Titans starter Ryan Tannehill. The Fox Sports insider announced on social media, “Sources: The Vikings have had discussions with former Titans QB Ryan Tannehill about a potential deal. Talks are ongoing and nothing is imminent as of right now.”
Tannehill is one of the more known names on the market. Other candidates include Joe Flacco, Carson Wentz, and Drew Lock.
The veteran has played a ton of football in his career. He started out as the eighth overall pick in 2012 when the Miami Dolphins pulled the trigger to acquire the quarterback/wide receiver hybrid from the University of Texas A&M.
He quickly earned a starting job and spent his first seven seasons with the AFC East organization. His tenure was mostly that of an average quarterback with a 17-game average of 3,947 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. He played and started 88 games in six seasons (he missed another year due to a torn ACL).
Following the 2018 season, the Dolphins traded him to the Tennessee Titans, where he began as Marcus Mariota’s backup. A few games into the 2019 campaign, he snatched the starting job from Mariota and was fantastic with 22 touchdowns and only six interceptions in ten starts with a 7-3 record. He went to his only Pro Bowl and landed Comeback Player of the Year honors after guiding his new team to the AFC title game.
The next two seasons, after signing a big contract extension, were quite successful in the regular season, with a 23-10 record, including the top seed and subsequent bye week in the AFC playoff picture in one year. However, both seasons ended in the first playoff game.
His 2022 season was shortened because of an ankle injury, and he got benched for Will Levis in 2023. Last year, Tannehill didn’t play, remaining a free agent all year. A return is now possible, perhaps with the Vikings.
A fascinating wrinkle is that he told the press in 2022 that it was not his job to mentor rookie Malik Willis. A year later, he apparently changed his stance when Levis came aboard. It’s quite clear that his job in the Twin Cities would be that of a mentor and an emergency quarterback if McCarthy can’t suit up or needs a break on the bench.
A cool item is that Tannehill doesn’t count toward the compensatory pick formula after taking a break in 2024. Currently, the Vikings could land an extra third-rounder for Sam Darnold’s departure and another mid-round pick for Daniel Jones. However, signing another compensatory free agent would cancel out the Jones pick.
Tannehill will turn 37 years old in July. No team will offer him a starting gig after a year off following an underwhelming 2023 campaign. However, the Vikings are the right spot for him if he wants a backup job with a chance to see the field and an offense in which he could thrive if needed. For the Vikings, he might be the best option.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt