The Bizarre Ryan Tannehill Twist and Its Gravity for the Vikings
The quarterback rumor mill has been crazy for the second consecutive offseason in the Twin Cities. J.J. McCarthy has been confirmed as the presumed QB1 for the upcoming season when the Aaron Rodgers rumors got squashed to some extent, but the rumor mill keeps going.
The Bizarre Ryan Tannehill Twist and Its Gravity for the Vikings
With McCarthy taking over the QB1 spot and Brett Rypien returning as QB3, most people have assumed that someone has to fill the QB2 spot on the depth chart. Even after two weeks of free agency, enough guys are available.
Those include former Super Bowl champion Joe Flacco, who has collected a ton of backup experience over the last handful of years, and Carson Wentz, a physically gifted passer whose career derailed a few years ago. In addition to those players, Ryan Tannehill has been linked to Minnesota.
Jordan Schultz announced on social media a few days ago, “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.”
The depth of the word “discussion” is vague. Did they talk numbers, or was it just a pair of two-minute calls? Regardless, the speculations have continued.
NFL reporter Ian Rappoport appeared on the Monday episode of the Pat McAfee Show, and the panel talked about Vikings quarterbacks. After confirming last week’s reports about McCarthy being the new top passer in the building, he dropped his nugget on the Tannehill situation and it strangely sounded like the man isn’t looking to be anyone’s backup.
“The Tannehill conversations … if there was any conversation, it was more like, ‘Alright, might you theoretically be available if we need you?’ Because Ryan Tannehill sat all last year. I think (he) would probably come back for an opportunity to start for an awesome team and maybe make some decent bridge quarterback money — maybe 10 or 15 (million), something like that,” Rapoport explained.
Tannehill might be looking for a starting gig somewhere 17 months after he was benched for Will Levis, and that’s quite unbelievable. It should be noted that he didn’t produce his usual numbers in 2023, but had a pretty pathetic stat line of two passing touchdowns and seven interceptions in the first six games. Later in the year, he scored another two touchdowns, slightly improving his output.
He then took a full year off, waiting for anyone to call, but apparently, no one he was interested in did. The good news for the Vikings is that they think (or hope) they don’t need to hire a starter. He’ll be 37 when the season starts.
“I don’t get the sense that anything’s imminent and I think (the Vikings) hope that they don’t need him. Because the hope is, your future is now, roll with J.J. McCarthy, who’s really talented, and just move forward from there.”
If McCarthy, for some reason, isn’t ready to start in Week 1, the club might look for a bridge starter. That report fits those revolving around Aaron Rodgers and the door that has been left open by all the reporters who suggest that they just don’t want him now but might be interested in the summer if McCarthy isn’t the real deal.
For the Vikings, if Tannehill isn’t in the running for the QB2 gig, Rypien would retain the spot. Coaches seem to love him. However, it’s kind of hard to believe in a signal-caller with four career touchdowns and nine picks and therefore, the Vikings are likely still in the market for a new backup.
Once the dominoes start to fall, with Rodgers and Russell Wilson presumably obtaining two starting spots, the other guys like Flacco and Tannehill will make their moves. Also available are Drew Lock, the aforementioned Wentz, Minnesota native Trey Lance, past Vikings Case Keenum and Teddy Bridgewater, Jeff Driskel, Josh Johnson, or Easton Stick.
In addition to that, the trade market could be an option.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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