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From an exciting prospect to an injury-prone veteran, to backup quarterback to franchise quarterback, Ryan Tannehill has seen plenty of peaks and valleys in his career.
This year, the NFL placed Tannehill in the top 100 players list at #83. Too low? Too high? The general consensus is that 83 is a number a tad lower than what was expected, which brings us to the question: is Ryan Tannehill underrated?
Here's a look at his history, what the NFL was thinking, what's holding him back, and why he could jump up in the 2022 list.
Ryan Tannehill tryst with optics
Tannehill's history
Ryan Tannehill's been through a lot in his career. He started out with the Miami Dolphins and showed plenty of promise before the injury bug bit him hard. He missed a significant amount of time due to different injuries over the years.
Eventually, the Dolphins had enough and decided to move in a new direction towards, eventually, Tua Tagovailoa.
Tannehill landed with the Tennessee Titans, who were on the edge of sending Marcus Mariota on his way. Tannehill took over midway through 2019 and showed a night-and-day difference, throwing for 22 touchdowns and six interceptions.
In 2020, Tannehill threw for 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions and led the Titans to an 11-5 campaign before losing in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. It is clear that without Tannehill, the Titans would not be in the same position they are in today.
What's holding Tannehill back?
After an 11-5 campaign and throwing for 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions, what gives? Why does the NFL think Tannehill is in the bottom 20 of the top 100 players?
Basically, the NFL needs to see more from him in the playoffs. They also need to see consistency over a number of years before his body of work convinces them.
The biggest issue with Tannehill is his injury history and playoff struggles. If he can show improvement in either of these areas, he could be taken more seriously in the eyes of the NFL.
Why Tannehill may jump up in the 2022 rankings
The two biggest issues with Tannehill are injuries and playoff problems. This season, he can dispel both of those.
If he plays through the entire season, it will essentially erase his injury history from early in his career.
With the addition of Julio Jones and Tannehill's already competent displays, it seems this year could be the QB's best yet. If Tannehiil can reach around 40 touchdowns, the NFL will have no choice but to take notice.
At that point, he will have three seasons of dominance in a row at the quarterback position while showing steady improvement. Godspeed, Ryan Tannehill.
