We’re officially through a full week of 2024 NFL free agency and there hasn’t been a peep about former Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who remains available in free agency.
In a recent article listing the best team fits for 20 remaining free agents, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell connected Tannehill to the Chicago Bears.
Here’s his thought process:
Best fit: Chicago Bears. The depth chart in Chicago consists of Tyson Bagent and Brett Rypien. Tannehill’s not going to push likely No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams for the starting job, but a little bit of veteran experience in the quarterback room wouldn’t hurt.
With the Bears expected to take USC’s Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL draft, having a veteran quarterback like Tannehill in the room wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Tannehill received plenty of flack for saying it wasn’t his job to mentor Malik Willis after the Titans drafted the Liberty product in 2022, but that comment was blown out of proportion and the veteran signal-caller was in a much different spot in his career, as he was still Tennessee’s starter.
At the end of the day, it’s the responsibility of the coaching staff to bring along a young quarterback, not his teammates.
Tannehill would enter a situation in Chicago in which he’d be the backup, and likely with the understanding that part of his job is to help Williams in any way that he can, which would be valuable.
Not to mention, if Williams gets hurt for any length of time, Tannehill is a great option for the Bears to have to keep the team afloat during a season in which Chicago will no doubt have playoff aspirations.
