DONE DEAL: Steelers Land Ryan Tannehill after Kenny Pickett Trade
Kenny Pickett was moved by the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday, therefore he is no longer with the team. The club now needs two quarterbacks to go along with Russell Wilson in the locker room, and while Justin Fields is the clear favorite, there is still another quarterback that fits a lot of the criteria. That’s Ryan Tannehill, who used to play in Tennessee under Arthur Smith, the new offensive coordinator.
That appears to be on the table, by all means, if the team chooses to acquire a reliable veteran to replace Fields as their backup quarterback instead of giving up draft picks to get him.
Could you please tell me the details of a potential Tannehill contract and how much the Steelers would have to pay? Over the years, Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus has shown himself to be a very accurate contract prediction specialist. He envisions a two-year contract worth of $11 million, or $5.5 million annually, for Tannehill.
Overall, Smith led the Titans to a good season that included a trip to the AFC Championship, but things won’t be the same this time around. However, this implies that Tannehill may choose to join Pittsburgh as he is slated to be a free agency.
Smith is going to introduce a fresh playbook and strategy. The first task for the new coaching staff will be to get Wilson up to speed in the new scheme. and most important job. There isn’t going to be a lot of time for them to be spreading his efforts around.
Therefore, it makes perfect sense if Smith’s offensive playbook and strategy are already known to the backup quarterback. The first of those two new quarterbacks might be almost like a second quarterbacks coach in the room along with Wilson and maybe another younger passer, because the Steelers are reportedly hoping to acquire a veteran and a rookie quarterback.
Tannehill can still throw the ball well despite being 35 years old, having missed his Pro Bowl participation five years prior, and suffering an injury in 2023.
Following his injury comeback in late 2023, he played in three games and finished with a 92.8 passer rating, 6.71 adjusted yards per attempt, and 70% completion rate. From the moment Smith started using him as the starting quarterback until this season, when he was sidelined due to an injury, Tannehill led Tennessee in starts.