Ryan Tannehill Enjoys ‘Wild Ride’ to First Pro Bowl Appearance

ORLANDO, FL – When the Tennessee Titans suffered their fourth loss over a five-game stretch in a Week 6 shutout against the Denver Broncos, it appeared that they were on the fast track to a lost season. Through the first six games of the season, the team averaged a paltry 11 points per game and needed a jolt to their offense.

That’s when Titans head coach Mike Vrabel pulled the plug on the former second overall pick Marcus Mariota and inserted the six-year veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill into the starting lineup. His decision paid immediate dividends as the Titans were winners in six of the next seven games while putting themselves back into the playoff picture and ultimately earning the sixth seed in the AFC.

Much of the team’s success and reverse of fortunes on offense can be attributed to Tannehill’s career resurgence. In 10 games as a starter, he passed for 2,742 yards while throwing for 22 touchdowns and only six interceptions while leading the league with a 1117.5 quarterback rating. He added 185 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

“I didn’t know what was going to happen when I got into Tennessee,” Tannehill suggested while talking to the media after the AFC’s Pro Bowl practice at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando on Wednesday afternoon. “I knew I was coming in as a backup, but wanted to come in to play and compete (for the starting job). I finally got the nod and here we are at the Pro Bowl – it was a wild ride.”

The Titans went from barely cracking double digits each week to an average of 30.4 points per game under the helm of Tannehill. His performance this season earned him the honors of NFL Comeback Player of the Year and Most Improved Player by the Pro Football Writers of America last Friday.

“I believed in myself the whole time,” Tannehill said reflecting on his career resurgence this season. “My confidence never wavered, although the situation wasn’t what I wanted it to be. I still had the confidence that I could go in, play at a high level and win games.”

The team’s winning ways continued into the postseason after defeating the No. 3-seeded New England Patriots and the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens, who were projected by many insiders as the Super Bowl favorites. While the Titans relied heavily on the ground game with running back Derrick Henry to the tune of 377 yards over those games, Tannehill still delivered in key situations like his 45-yard touchdown pass to Kalif Raymond in the second quarter against the Ravens.

With all the momentum going into the team’s first AFC Championship since 2002, aspirations for a Super Bowl appearance were naturally high for Tennessee. While they built an early 10-0 lead against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Patrick Mahomes-led offense proved to be too much for the Titans in their 35-24 loss ending the Cinderella story of a season.

“It still hurts,” Tannehill said. “Looking back at how much we’ve accomplished this season and how close we were – one game away from competing from a Super Bowl title. When you’re that close, it just hurts that much more.”

“Obviously every loss hurts as a competitor, but the deeper you go the bigger the hurt once you get eliminated,” he added. “Thinking back to that locker room after the game and there was a lot of shock and stun. You put everything into it and everything in your mind says that you’re going to walk away with a win and when it doesn’t happen it just kind of puts you in shock a little bit.”

His first-ever Pro Bowl appearance, however, takes some of the sting away.

“This is exciting and takes my mind off of it a little bit, but it still hurts,” Tannehill explained. “I’m still feeling it a little bit, but I think it’s going to take some time to get over it.”

Time is something that Tannehill has learned to overcome this season.

“I learned waiting can be tough, but you can get through it,” said Tannehill. “Taking it one day at a time and handle what’s right in front of you and try to make the best of whatever situation that you’re in.”

Tannehill will become an unrestricted free agent in March and he figures to see a big payday whether it be by way of the Titans or one of the other 31 teams in the league. He was non-committal on his future, but expressed his pleasure of playing for Tennessee.

“I’d like to be back,” Tannehill suggested. “I love the organization and the team, but at the same time we’ve got to come to an agreement. “I believe in (head coach Mike) Vrabel and the vision he has and the tone he sets each and every day so we’ll see what happens.”

Tannehill isn’t the only big decision that the Titans have to make this offseason; Henry is also an impending free agent. If the team looks to repeat its success in 2020 and beyond, it must find a way to retain both of these players to keep their offense clicking.