In the wake of the Las Vegas Raiders needing a replacement for the injured Aidan O’Connell, one of the team’s beat writers has suggested a former $118 million quarterback as a possible option.
That former $118 million quarterback is former Tennessee Titans signal-caller Ryan Tannehill. Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal was the one who made the suggestion after head coach Pete Carroll confirmed the team wants an experienced player to fill the void behind Geno Smith.
“Raiders coach Pete Carroll said the club will seek to acquire a veteran QB with playing experience to fill O’Connell’s role,” Bonsignore wrote. “They will look at all markets (Ryan Tannehill could be a possibility).”
What’s confusing about Bonsignore’s comment is that it isn’t clear if this is something he has heard or just an educated guess. If it’s the latter, it would be a pretty random suggestion, as Tannehill hasn’t played a snap in the NFL since 2023.
A former Comeback Player of the Year in 2019, Tannehill resurrected his career with the Titans, but his impressive run in Tennessee hit a wall in 2022 and he was allowed to walk in free agency after 2023.
While everyone assumed he would eventually sign somewhere in 2024, that never happened. Tannehill went into detail about what he was waiting for.
“Right now, I think it’s going to depend on situation,” he said in July of last year. “At this point, I’ve been blessed to play 12 years and be where I’m at, so I’m not just going to continue to add years to add years. I want to be in a situation that I feel really good about. I’m not ruling anything out, but it’s going to have to be the right situation for me and my family.”
While Tannehill struggled in his last few years with the Titans, it wasn’t all his fault. Tennessee did a horrendous job surrounding him with talent, and that was especially true along the offensive line.
Even at the age of 37, Tannehill is still probably a better option than most of the ones the Raiders are going to find available at this stage in the offseason.
With cutdown day coming on Tuesday and the first waiver period on Wednesday, it would be surprising if the Raiders haven’t added someone by then.
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