Los Angeles Chargers: Six free agents to avoid this offseason

Ryan Tannehill

Ryan Tannehill finds himself in the free-agent market after a season that revived his career. Leading the Titans to the AFC Championship game was no easy feat, especially considering their dismal start with how Marcus Mariota was playing.

Bleacher Report’s list of possible destinations for Tannehill does include the Chargers. In theory, as far as a bridge quarterback goes, the team could do worse than Tannehill. If there is a team that’s willing to sign him to a longer-term deal, why would he settle for a bridge role?

Well, he may want to play for a little bit less this season to set himself up for a big payday in future years with another good season.

There’s also the resume. Sure, Tannehill had the season of his career last year. Record highs were obtained in QBR, passer rating, and yards per attempt. Are we sure he could do it in a new system? Tennessee tended to use Tannehill in a game manager role towards the end of the season and playoffs after his initial breakout with the Titans.

If the Log Angeles Chargers are paying top dollar for a free-agent quarterback, a game manager who has peaked with one year that we don’t know is sustainable over time just doesn’t sound appealing.

Tyrod Taylor being on the roster also makes this a proposition not worth taking, as he can probably provide the team similar levels of consistency and production without costing what Tannehill will undoubtedly cost.

A stacked team around a cheap, but efficient Taylor just has more upside than a team that’s not able to keep talent around a more expensive Tannehill. While not a bad quarterback, it just doesn’t seem like the Chargers are a fit for Tannehill.