By: Mike Rifkin
Let’s be honest about the 2022 Tennessee Titans. They collapsed. They were 7-3 before losing their final seven games to finish with a 7-10. On Wednesday, the Titans announced they had cut Left Tackle Taylor Lewan, Wide Receiver Robert Woods, Linebacker Zach Cunningham, and Kicker Randy Bullock. These four moves save the Titans 37.7 million dollars in salary cap space. The Titans entered this offseason about 23.3 million dollars over the cap.
I don’t believe the Titans are done, either. Next on the list might be quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who, if the Titans cut, they’d get hit for 9.6 million dollars on the cap. If they keep Tannehill, they would owe him 36 million dollars. Tannehill last season played in 12 games and had a 65.2 completion percentage for 2,536 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions. The Titans also drafted Malik Willis in the third round of the NFL Draft last year, but most experts still think he needs to sit. Willis played in eight games and didn’t throw a touchdown pass, but he did rush for one and threw three interceptions. With Tannehill injured and Willis not ready, the Titans turned to Josh Dobbs to play in the final two games of the regular season.
With Tannehill a potential cap casualty and Willis not ready to start, I wonder if the Titans will enter the quarterback market. But I’m thinking about the deep end of the market. There are two names. Aaron Rodgers, who was linked to the Titans last offseason, was one of them. Many people don’t think Rodgers will stay in Green Bay, and a change of scenery is likely. Why not go to the AFC South and win a division that isn’t that strong? The other name I have been thinking about is Tom Brady. Brady announced his retirement, but do we think it’s real this time? He will play football once football season starts, and he’s not in a uniform. Brady played with Titans coach Mike Vrabel in New England for years, so they could likely lure Tom back for one more year. It was also announced that Brady’s contract with Fox will not start until 2024, so let the speculation begin.
The Titans made some big moves on Wednesday, and now we wait to see what’s next. Do they go big game hunting on a quarterback, or do they consider this a rebuild/retool now? Either way, it will be a curious off-season for the Titans
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