When Ryan Tannehill closed his eyes, he saw the interceptions.
The one on his first pass of the game. The one in the red zone before halftime. The one near midfield with 20 seconds left and the score tied.
The quarterback’s nightmarish, three-pick performance in the top-seeded Titans’ divisional-round loss to the Bengals on Jan. 22 played on repeat in his head for weeks afterward. Sleepless nights were the norm.
Tannehill was in a “dark place” during the offseason, he told reporters in May — so much so that he sought therapy to move past the pain.
“It took me a while and a lot of work to get out of it,” Tannehill said in May. “It wasn’t something that went away easily. It’s still a scar that I’ll carry with me throughout the rest of my life.”
For Tannehill to achieve redemption, he first must lead the Titans back to the playoffs, which he has done three times since taking over for Marcus Mariota early in the 2019 season. Along the way, Tannehill will be under intense scrutiny.
Titans fans have not forgotten that January day at Nissan Stadium, and some have not forgiven Tannehill for blowing a real shot at the Super Bowl. As a result, every decision he makes will be micro-analyzed. Every turnover will lead his naysayers to call for bazooka-armed rookie Malik Willis, even though the Liberty product is far from ready.
Tannehill has been around long enough to know that pressure comes with the territory of being a quarterback. But it is going to reach another level this season.
“It’s fuel for me,” Tannehill said. “[I have] a desire to win like I’ve never had before.”
This time last year, there was talk around town that the Titans’ offense had “Greatest Show on Turf” potential. Tannehill accounted for 40 touchdowns in 2020. Running back Derrick Henry was coming off a 2,000-yard season, the NFL’s first in eight years. A.J. Brown was emerging as a standout No. 1 wide receiver. Titans general manager Jon Robinson traded for future Hall of Famer Julio Jones.
But it never came together. Tannehill threw 14 interceptions, twice as many as the year before and one more than he had in the previous two years combined. Henry broke his foot and missed nine games, proving for the first time that he is not superhuman. Brown had his moments, but when the Titans balked at his contract demands, they shipped him to Philadelphia on draft day. Jones’ bum hamstring rendered him useless, and the Titans cut him after he caught one touchdown in 10 games.
During his time in Tennessee, Tannehill has grown accustomed to having a rotating cast of targets. In the first round of April’s draft, the Titans traded up to take Treylon Burks, a 225-pound receiver out of Arkansas with 4.55 speed and big-play ability who has drawn comparisons to Brown. His pro career got off to an inauspicious start when he arrived out of shape for mini camp, but he eased concerns about his conditioning during the preseason. Former Rams wideout Robert Woods replaces Jones as the veteran pass-catcher. Woods, whose 2021 season ended because of a torn ACL, is a steady hand in the passing game and is expected to be the Titans’ leading receiver this season.
One thing has not changed: The Titans’ identity still revolves around Henry. The team got by when Henry was sidelined last season, but they were much less threatening without him monopolizing the attention of opposing defenses. At 28, Henry is at the age when questions about a running back’s mortality begin to arise. Even after missing half a season, Henry’s 900 carries since 2019 are nearly 100 more than the next-closest ball carrier. A physical marvel, Henry is able to withstand (and dole out) punishment better than most players at his position. Even so, his workload will be a weekly topic of discussion. Frankly, the Titans cannot afford to limit Henry’s time on the field if they want to contend in the AFC.
But it all comes back to Tannehill, whose career is at another crossroads. His salary is no longer guaranteed after this season, and his dead cap hit would be manageable if the Titans were to release him.
The conditions around Tannehill have to be favorable for him to succeed. Henry has to stay healthy. The receiving corps, though less heralded than a year ago, has to be more reliable. The offensive line, which surrendered the seventh-most sacks in the league last season, has to provide better protection.
If Tannehill gets all of that, then he should have a bounce-back season. All that matters, however, is what he does come playoff time.
The team is healthy. The roster is competitive. Here's a look at this year's Titans in three parts.
GM Jon Robinson is doing his best to keep the Titans’ Super Bowl window open
The team heads into the season with the core of its defense still together
