Why Ryan Tannehill Is the Right Bridge For JJ McCarthy
Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
The Minnesota Vikings have kept their cards close to their chest as it pertains to which bridge quarterback they’re pursuing this offseason. This caused rumors to swirl surrounding the Vikings being interested in Aaron Rodgers. The Rodgers discourse was incredibly exhausting to deal with because it seemed like reporters were completely split on Minnesota’s level of interest, and The Athletic wanted to milk every last drop out of this storyline. The constant “will-they-won’t-they” gave me so much anxiety that I had to enter a darkness retreat and take a break from writing so I could go offline to decompress.
Fortunately, the Rodgers rumors have died down after multiple reports stated that Minnesota would be moving forward with J.J. McCarthy as their quarterback. Thank god. Now that Aaron Rodgers is likely to be Pittsburgh’s problem and not ours, Vikings fans can have rational quarterback discourse. While J.J. McCarthy is indeed Minnesota’s franchise quarterback, the Vikings still lack a quality veteran backup who can start in a pinch if necessary. Minnesota is interested in one veteran quarterback, with Jordan Schultz reporting that The Vikings have had discussions with Ryan Tannehill about a potential deal.
Sources: The #Vikings have had discussions with former #Titans QB Ryan Tannehill about a potential deal. Talks are ongoing and nothing is imminent as of right now, sources tell @NFLonFOX. pic.twitter.com/yF71IYo9Pg
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 21, 2025
Ryan Tannehill fits the player profile that the Vikings tend to favor in quarterbacks – a signal caller with a high draft pedigree as a former 8th overall pick. Tannehill’s pedigree combined with his 11 years of starting experience makes him the ideal bridge quarterback. In his five seasons as the Tennessee Titans starter Tannehill threw for 14,447 passing yards, averaging 215.6 yards per game, with 93 touchdowns to 40 interceptions, and a 97.8 passer rating. Tannehill also overlapped with Vikings assistant offensive line coach Keith Carter, who was the Titans offensive line coach from 2018-2023.
At first glance, Ryan Tannehill possesses the traits that Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah look for at the position, but does that make him the right bridge quarterback for the Vikings? On one hand, Tannehill was a quality starter in Tennessee despite middling offensive talent at key skill positions. For context, the best roster Ryan Tannehill had was in 2019 with Derrick Henry, rookie year A.J. Brown, and Jonnu Smith. That season Tannehill made the Pro Bowl and won Comeback Player of The Year, proving he can be a highly productive passer with the right pieces around him.
However, the biggest reason why Ryan Tannehill would be a good fit for the Vikings is because his playstyle is very similar to that of J.J. McCarthy. Like McCarthy, Tannehill has a quick release, is accurate in the intermediate passing game, has above-average mobility when scrambling out of the pocket, and an underrated deep ball when given enough time to throw. In the clip below, Ryan Tannehill makes this J.J. McCarthy-esque throw in the red zone where he was able to put enough heat on the ball to zip this pass between two defenders for the touchdown.
Gets this ball out quickly and with some heat into a tight window. pic.twitter.com/IhfVRYIPPT
— Titans Tape (@TitansTape) March 23, 2020
If the Vikings are looking for a quarterback who is basically an older, less athletic version of McCarthy, then Ryan Tannehill may be their best bet. Whether or not Ryan Tannehill would embrace being a mentor for a young quarterback is another story. In 2022, Tennessee drafted Malik Willis in the 3rd round as Tannehill’s eventual replacement. Ryan Tannehill didn’t seem keen on taking Willis under his wing, and he made that known during OTAs saying: “I don’t think it’s my job to mentor him.” It remains to be seen if Tannehill’s stance would change if Minnesota signs him.
Furthermore, a deal between Ryan Tannehill’s representation and the Vikings isn’t imminent, and it sounds like Minnesota only reached out to Tannehill as a feeler. Ian Rapoport said on the Pat McAfee Show on Monday that the dialogue had nothing to do with contract negotiations, and instead were centered around Tanehill’s potential availability in the event J.J. McCarthy is unable to play. Tannehill sat out the entire 2024 season, waiting for the right opportunity to present itself while he rehabbed his knee injury. Additionally, since Tannehill didn’t play last year, he doesn’t count against the compensatory pick formula.
"The Vikings are JJ McCarthy's team moving forward..
I don't get the sense that anything is imminent between the Vikings and Ryan Tannehill" @RapSheet #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/ddPVD47167
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 24, 2025
How potential signings affect the formula will be a big factor in the Kwesi’s decision-making. Nevertheless, Ryan Tannehill would be a great bridge quarterback in the event that J.J. McCarthy suffers a setback in his rehab or isn’t ready to start Week 1. In a perfect world, Minnesota would sign Ryan Tannehill to backup J.J. McCarthy, but there’s no guarantee that Tannehill would agree to sign under those conditions. Still, Tannehill remains a strong option that the Vikings should continue to monitor as they gain more insight on where J.J. McCarthy is at in his development.
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