NFL Exec Bashes Titans' Ryan Tannehill: 'A Tannehill-led Team Can't Win a Super Bowl'

Entering his fifth season with the Tennessee Titans, Ryan Tannehill's seat has never been hotter.

The veteran signal caller seems entrenched as the team's starter but should be feeling the pressure as the organization drafted a quarterback for a second-consecutive season when they took Will Levis in the second-round this year.

The Athletic's Mike Sando released his annual quarterback tier list Monday, with evaluations from 50 coaches and executives from around the league.

Several evaluators don't believe Tannehill has what it takes to maximize Tennessee's roster.

"Tannehill is at a pivotal point where his replacements are already on the roster, and in order for him to be the starter in Tennessee a year from now, the level of play would have to be so high that meeting those expectations seems almost unfair," one voter said. "Ryan is a solid starter who has to be managed to prevent the big errors, but is often the byproduct of success at skill positions and defense. A Tannehill-led team can't win a Super Bowl.

"His limited mobility has made him more vulnerable to hits, and his career is turning into the Ryan Fitzpatrick discussion where he's holding on to a position with younger and experimental pieces around him."

Tannehill was voted as the final player in tier three of the rankings, notably behind Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa, Daniel Jones, Geno Smith and Justin Fields, among others.

Since being traded to the Titans ahead of the 2019 season, the former Pro Bowler has been more than serviceable in a starting role, even helping lead the organization to the No. 1 seed in the AFC in 2021.

But he just hasn't been able to get them over the hump in a loaded conference that's filled with elite quarterback play. And now, he has Levis and Malik Willis—the Titans third-round pick from 2022—waiting in the wings.

Last season was an injury-plagued campaign for the 35-year-old, playing in 12 games while throwing for 2,536 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 65.2 percent of his passes.