Most of the country is glued to March Madness brackets and the improbable 16-1 upsets. However, NFL front offices are still focusing on the draft and free agency.
The Minnesota Vikings front office was determined to help J.J. McCarthy by bolstering the offensive line and finding him a potential mentor. Passing on Aaron Rodgers, a Hall of Fame quarterback, is the clearest indication they’re all in on McCarthy.
Instead of turning things over to Rodgers, the Vikings decided to look elsewhere and met with Ryan Tannehill. The conversation seemed to center on what the 36-year-old veteran was looking for with his next team if he chooses to continue his career. However, he wasn’t in the league last season and last played with the Tennessee Titans in 2023.
Still, Tannehill would be an intriguing pickup for the Vikings. The Miami Dolphins drafted him eighth overall in 2012, and he spent his first seven seasons with the team.
Brian Flores took over as head coach of the Dolphins before the 2019 draft. A month later, they traded Tannehill to Tennessee. Whether Flores had the final say on that decision isn’t clear. However, there were talks of Tannehill leaving the team before Flores arrived in Miami.
Tannehill played in 88 games in Miami, completing 62.8% of his passes for 20,434 yards, 123 TDs, and 75 interceptions.
His most memorable play was the “Miami Miracle” in his final season with the Dolphins. Tannehill completed a 15-yard pass to Kenny Stills, who lateraled it to Devante Parker, who instantly found Kenyan Drake.
After Drake had the ball in his hands, he looked for a teammate to pass to, tucked it himself, and ran 52 yards for a touchdown. Rob Gronkowski was playing on the defensive side of the ball and seemed to have taken a bad angle on the speedy Drake. The New England Patriots tight end did not come up with the game-saving tackle, resulting in a Dolphins touchdown and a 34-33 victory.
That was Tannehill’s last win with the Dolphins.
During the trade process, Tannehill was looking for a location where he could either be the Day 1 starter or in a position to fight for the starting role. However, Marcus Mariota, Tennessee’s second-overall pick in 2015, struggled with injury issues and had yet to play an entire season. During Week 6 of the 2019 season against the Denver Broncos, the Titans benched Mariota in favor of Tannehill.
In 2019, Tannehill showed he had what it took to be a perennial starter. He took the Titans to the AFC Championship Game and won 2019 Comeback Player of the Year.
However, he lost the starting role to Will Levis after injuring his ankle in 2023.
In 67 games with the Titans, Levis completed 66.6% of his passes for 14,447 yards, 93 TDs, and 40 interceptions.
The Titans let Tannehill test free agency after the 2023 season. No team picked him up because he has been waiting for the perfect scenario to open up.
Gardner Minshew, Case Keenum, Drew Lock, and Joe Flacco are still available, and Minnesota’s discussion with Tannehill appears to be at an impasse. Tannehill still wants to be a starter for a competitive franchise, while the Vikings are setting McCarthy up to be their franchise QB.
Still, the Vikings might have just had enough intrigue on the veteran, who sat all last season, to see if he is willing to sit all of next season for the possibility of playing with Justin Jefferson and this dynamic, Kevin O’Connell-led offense. If Minnesota and Tannehill can reach a mutual understanding, it may be perfect for the veteran quarterback.
