Tannehill spent his first seven seasons as the Dolphins' primary starter before being traded to the Tennessee Titans in 2019. Initially serving as a backup, Tannehill became the starter midway through the season and led the team to the AFC Championship Game. He was also named NFL Comeback Player of the Year and selected to the Pro Bowl. During his next two seasons, Tannehill helped the Titans clinch consecutive division titles.
Early life
Tannehill was born in Lubbock, Texas, and grew up in nearby Big Spring.[1] He attended Big Spring High School, where he played football and basketball, and ran on the track and field team.[2] Tannehill played 10 games as a defensive back in his sophomore season. As a junior, he passed for 2,510 yards and rushed for 922 at quarterback. Tannehill took his team to the playoffs as a senior, passing for 1,258 yards and rushing for another 617. He had to miss two games due to a separated shoulder in the second game of his senior year. Tannehill also had three receptions for 62 yards and compiled a 39.2 punt average with a long of 84 yards as a senior. He received second-team District 4-4A honors for both his junior and senior seasons. Tannehill left high school a three-star recruit according to Rivals.com.[3]
In track and field, Tannehill competed in hurdling and jumping events. At the 2006 District 4-4A championships, he placed third in the 300 m hurdles (41.24 s) and earned a second-place finish in the triple jump event (13.19 m).[4]
Before Tannehill's second season, Mike Sherman took over as head coach. In summer camp, Tannehill competed against veteran quarterback Stephen McGee and redshirt sophomore Jerrod Johnson for the starting quarterback position. He finished in third place behind starter Johnson and McGee. Sherman's offense utilizes three receivers and moved Tannehill to a wide receiver position.
In his fifth game, Tannehill posted a freshman school record of 210 yards on 12 catches.[5] He had six receptions for 78 yards in the Iowa State game breaking the freshman school record for receptions and receiving yards.[6] Tannehill finished his redshirt freshman season with 844 receiving yards, which was 11 yards shy of breaking Robert Ferguson's record set in 2000.[7][8] Tannehill attempted only one pass as a quarterback the whole season.[9]
Tannehill had expressed his desire to become the starting quarterback at A&M: "I still think of myself as a quarterback; I still want to be a quarterback here at A&M. Hopefully that's the way it turns out. But if things don't happen that way, and Coach thinks I can better help being a receiver, then I guess I'm okay with that."
During the 2009 offseason, Tannehill and Jerrod Johnson competed for the starting quarterback position; Johnson won the job.[10]
Tannehill finished the 2009 season with a team-leading 46 receptions for 609 yards and four touchdowns.[11] About 80% of his catches for the season were for first downs or touchdowns.[12] He picked up All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors for his performance.[13] He only took eight snaps as a quarterback for the entire season.[9]
Tannehill continued to play wide receiver during the first six games of the 2010 season. Over those six games, he made 11 catches for 143 yards.[14] Tannehill also attempted four passes during the season opener.[15]
Tannehill saw extensive action at quarterback during the Kansas game, splitting time with starter Jerrod Johnson. Tannehill finished with 12 completions on 16 attempts for 155 yards and three touchdowns.[16] In his first career start at quarterback, Tannehill led the Aggies to a 45–27 victory over Texas Tech and set a school record with 449 passing yards.[17] He also made a 33-yard pooch punt, his first career kick.[18]
Tannehill quarterbacked the Aggies to a victory over No. 11 Oklahoma, which moved the team into the top 25.[19] He helped the team maintain a ranking in the top 25 with victories over Baylor and No. 9 Nebraska. During the Nebraska game, Tannehill punted twice since the starter was injured.[20] He and his team defeated Texas finishing the regular season. Tannehill was recognized with All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors.[21]
In 2011, Tannehill started all 13 games (including the bowl game) at quarterback for the Aggies and was the team captain. He threw for 3,744 yards and 29 touchdowns with 15 interceptions.[22] Tannehill completed 61.6% of his passes posting a quarterback rating of 133.2. He also rushed for three touchdowns. On Thanksgiving Day, Tannehill lost the final game of the regular season to Texas A&M's rival, the University of Texas, the last time the teams played, to date.[23]
Tannehill finished his career at Texas A&M as a quarterback with a total of 5,450 passing yards, 42 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions.[24]
"I have him rated as the 19th best player in the draft, which tells you I don't think he's ready to be a heavy contributor this year. I watched every throw he made on tape this year. All the out-breaking routes are phenomenal. Where he gets in trouble are the in-breaking routes where he stares the receiver down, pats the ball and throws interceptions."
In the 2012 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins selected Tannehill in the first round with the eighth overall pick.[28] He was the first quarterback selected by the Dolphins in the first round since Dan Marino went 27th overall in 1983. Tannehill became the 17th starting quarterback by the Dolphins since Marino and only the third quarterback taken in the first round in franchise history after Hall of Famers Bob Griese and Marino.[29]
On July 28, 2012, Tannehill signed his four-year rookie contract with the Dolphins worth about $12.688 million, with a fifth-year option.[30]
On August 20, 2012, Tannehill was named the starting quarterback for the season opener against the Houston Texans.[31] He finished with 219 yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions during the 30–10 loss.[32][33] Two of his three interceptions were tipped at the line of scrimmage by defensive end J. J. Watt. In response to Tannehill's performance, Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin said, "We've (also) got to do a better job in (pass) protection, and at times the receivers have to protect the throw from the quarterback. So I would say, as is usually the case, there is a little bit of culpability across the board".[34]
During Week 2, Tannehill improved dramatically in a 35–13 victory over the Oakland Raiders, passing for 200 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions, as well as 14 yards on the ground to go along with a rushing score.[35] Tannehill seemed to fix his tipped ball problem by having zero passes batted down in Week 2. By the end of Week 3, Tannehill had completed less than 53% of his passes, and also had only one touchdown to four interceptions.[36]
Two weeks later against the Arizona Cardinals, Tannehill threw for 431 yards[37][38] surpassing the Dolphins' single-game record for most passing yards by a rookie quarterback set by Dan Marino in 1983. Tannehill's mark was one yard shy of the NFL's single-game passing-yard record by a rookie quarterback, set by Panthers quarterback Cam Newton in 2011. He threw a touchdown and two interceptions in the 24–21 overtime loss to the Cardinals.[39] In Week 16, Tannehill set a franchise record for longest run by a quarterback by rushing 31 yards in a single play. The previous record was held by Pat White, who had a 30-yard run in 2009. During that game against the Buffalo Bills, Tannehill also became the fifth quarterback in team history to surpass 3,000 passing yards in a season.[40]
Tannehill went on to set franchise rookie records for passing yards, attempts, and completions.[41]
During the season-opening 23–10 road victory over the Cleveland Browns, Tannehill went 24 of 38 for 272 yards a touchdown, and an interception, and was sacked four times.[42] In the next game, he went 23 of 34 for 319 yards for a touchdown, but he was sacked five times and lost a fumble during the 24–20 road victory over the Indianapolis Colts.[43] The following week against the Atlanta Falcons. Tannehill went 24 of 35 for 236 yards for two touchdowns and an interception, got sacked five times, and lost a fumble in the 27–23 victory and led the Dolphins to a 3–0 start for the first time since 2002.[44] He struggled in Week 4 against the New Orleans Saints, going 22 of 35 for 249 yards and a touchdown, but also committed four team turnovers as he was intercepted thrice, lost a fumble, and was sacked four times during the 38–17 road loss.[45]
During a Week 5 26–23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Tannehill had 307 passing yards and a touchdown, but was sacked six times.[46] Two weeks later against the Bills, he threw for 194 yards and threw three touchdowns and two interceptions, while fumbling once to the Bills and being sacked twice in the narrow 23–21 loss.[47] In the next game against the New England Patriots, Tannehill went 22 of 42 for 192 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions while also losing a fumble and being sacked six times during the 27–17 road loss.[48] The following week against the Cincinnati Bengals, he went 20 of 28 for 208 yards along with a one-yard touchdown run despite being sacked six times due to the tottering offensive line in the narrow 22–20 overtime victory.[49]
During a Week 10 22–19 road loss the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tannehill went 27 of 42 for 229 yards while throwing two touchdowns and an interception while also being sacked twice.[50] In the next game against the San Diego Chargers, Tannehill had 268 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception during the 20–16 victory, despite being sacked four times.[51]
During a Week 14 34–28 road victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tannehill had 200 passing yards, three touchdowns, and an interception.[52] In the next game against the Patriots, Tannehill had his best game of the year, completing 25-of-37 yards for 312 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions during the 24–20 victory.[53] During a Week 16 19–0 road loss to the Bills, Tannehill followed up his best game with a lackluster performance going 10-of-27 for 82 yards and was sacked seven times.[54] In the regular-season finale against the New York Jets, Tannehill went 20-of-40 for 204 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions during the 20–7 loss. This was the only regular-season game in which he was not sacked.[55] The Dolphins finished with an 8–8 record and missed the playoffs.[56]
Mike Sherman was the Dolphins' offensive coordinator in Tannehill's first two NFL seasons and was the head coach at Texas A&M when Tannehill played there. However, during the 2014 offseason, the Dolphins hired new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, giving Tannehill a new playbook to learn for the first time since high school.[57][58]
During the season-opening 33–20 victory against the Patriots, Tannehill threw for 178 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.[59] The Dolphins then went 6–7 over their next 13 games. In the penultimate game of the regular season against the Minnesota Vikings, Tannehill had a season-high 396 passing yards, four touchdowns, and one interception during the narrow 37–35 victory.[60] However, the Dolphins lost the regular season finale to the Jets to finish 8–8 and missing the playoffs.[61][62]
On May 18, 2015, Tannehill signed a six-year, $96 million contract extension with the Dolphins through the 2020 season, making him an unrestricted free agent in 2021.[63][64]
During a Week 7 44–26 victory over Texans, Tannehill became the 64th quarterback in NFL history to post a perfect 158.3 passer rating as he threw for 282 yards and four touchdowns.[65] In the same game, Tannehill set the all-time NFL record for consecutive completed passes with 25, completing his first 18 passes of the game and the final seven of his previous game. (In 2018, Philip Rivers & Nick Foles tied his record, but they did it in one game.)[66] In the next game against the Patriots on Thursday Night Football, Tannehill then had a rough spell, throwing for 300 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions during a 36–7 road loss.[67] Additionally, he fumbled one ball in the end zone for an opposition safety in three successive games against the Patriots, Bills[68] and Philadelphia Eagles.[69]
On December 6, Tannehill became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 3,000 yards in each of his first four seasons in the league.[citation needed] In the next game against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football, Tannehill threw for 236 yards and a touchdown during the 31–24 loss, eliminating the Dolphins from the playoff contention for a seventh consecutive year.[70]
Tannehill finished the 2015 season with 4,208 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions to go along with 141 rushing yards and a touchdown in 16 games and starts.[71][72]
In 2016, after a 1–4 start, the Dolphins won six straight games, and finished the season on a 9–2 run and an overall record of 10–6.[73] Tannehill played in 13 games, missing the last three due to an injury he suffered against the Cardinals where a low hit by Calais Campbell resulted in a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.[74][75] With their Week 16 victory over the Bills, the Dolphins clinched a winning record and a playoff berth for the first time since 2008.[76][77]
Tannehill finished the 2016 season with a then-career-high 67.1 completion percentage for 2,995 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 13 games and starts to go along with 164 rushing yards and a touchdown.[78] He was inactive in the Dolphins Wild Card loss to the Steelers.[79]
For treatment on his ACL, Tannehill went with stem-cell therapy and rehab over surgery. On August 3, 2017, Tannehill suffered an injury to his left leg when it buckled in the team's first non-contact 11-on-11 practice of season. After limping off the field, it was reported that the team feared he tore his ACL and would require season-ending surgery.[80] Three days later, the team signed recently retired quarterback Jay Cutler to act as Tannehill's replacement.[81] On August 11, Tannehill agreed to have surgery to repair the torn ACL, officially keeping him out of the 2017 season.[82][83] Tannehill was placed on injured reserve the following day.[84]
On March 1, 2018, head coach Adam Gase announced that Tannehill would continue to be the starting quarterback for the Dolphins.[85]
During the season-opening 27–20 victory over the Tennessee Titans, the game was delayed twice due to lightning storms. In his return from injury, Tannehill finished with 230 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.[86] Two weeks later, he recorded a 155.3 passer rating and threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns in a 28–20 victory over the Raiders.[87] Tannehill was inactive for the Week 6 matchup against the Chicago Bears due to a shoulder injury.[88]Brock Osweiler started in Tannehill's place until Week 12. In Week 14, Tannehill was part of the narrow Miracle in Miami 34–33 victory against the Patriots. Trailing by five points with seven seconds left, the Dolphins had the ball at their own 31-yard line. Tannehill threw a pass over the middle that was caught by wide receiver Kenny Stills, who lateraled the ball to the right side of the field that was caught by DeVante Parker at midfield. Parker then tossed the ball to running back Kenyan Drake, who ran the ball 52 yards for a touchdown to win the game.[89][90] Over the last three games of the regular season, Tannehill struggled with a total of one touchdown and three interceptions in the three losses.[91]
Tannehill finished the 2018 season with 1,979 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and nine interceptions to go along with 145 rushing yards in 11 games and starts.[92]
Tennessee Titans
Tannehill in 2019
On March 15, 2019, the Dolphins traded Tannehill and a sixth-round selection in the 2019 NFL draft to the Titans in exchange for a fourth-round selection in the 2020 draft and a seventh-round selection in the 2019 draft. Following the trade, he signed a one-year deal worth $7 million with up to $12 million in incentives.[93]
2019 season: Comeback Player of the Year
Tannehill rushing for a touchdown in the AFC Divisional Playoffs against the Ravens
During a Week 6 16–0 shutout road loss to the Denver Broncos, Tannehill replaced Marcus Mariota at quarterback in the second half and went 13-of-16 with 144 passing yards and an interception.[94] Tannehill was named the Titans' starting quarterback for the Week 7 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.[95] He finished the 23–20 victory with 312 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.[96] Three weeks later against the Kansas City Chiefs, Tannehill threw for 181 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 37 yards and a two-point conversion in the 35–32 victory.[97][98] During a Week 12 42–20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, he completed 14-of-18 for 259 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 40 yards and two touchdowns.[99] Two weeks later against the Raiders, Tannehill threw for 391 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception in the 42–21 road victory.[100] He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.[101] During Week 16 against the Saints, Tannehill threw for 272 yards and three touchdowns in the 38–28 loss.[102] In the regular-season finale against the Texans, he threw for 198 yards and two touchdowns in the 35–14 road victory, taking the Titans to the playoffs as a Wild Card team.[103]
Tannehill finished the 2019 season with 2,742 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions to go along with 43 carries for 185 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games and 10 starts.[104] He also led the league and set franchise-records with a 117.5 quarterback rating and 9.6 yards per attempt. His 70.3 completion percentage also set a franchise record.[105] Tannehill was ranked 68th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2020.[106]
In the Wild Card Round against the defending Super Bowl LIII champion Patriots, Tannehill completed eight passes on 15 attempts for 72 yards, a touchdown, and an interception while also rushing for 11 yards as the Titans upset the Patriots on the road 20–13.[107] It was the fewest completions and yards by a winning postseason quarterback since Joe Flacco's 4 of 10 for 34 yard performance in 2010, which coincidentally, was also against the Patriots.[108] In the Divisional Round against the Ravens, Tannehill completed seven passes on 14 attempts for 88 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing six times for 13 yards and a touchdown as the Titans upset the heavily favored Ravens on the road 28–12.[109] Tannehill joined Terry Bradshaw as the only player in the Super Bowl era to win consecutive playoff games with one or more touchdown passes and fewer than 100 yards passing.[110] In the AFC Championship Game, Tannehill completed 21-of-31 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 11 yards as the Titans lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on the road 35–24.[111] Tannehill was named to his first career Pro Bowl on January 20, 2020, replacing the Super Bowl-bound Patrick Mahomes.[112]
On February 1, 2020, Tannehill was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.[113]
On March 17, 2020, Tannehill signed a four-year extension with the Titans worth $118 million, with $62 million guaranteed.[114]
During the narrow season-opening 16–14 road victory over the Broncos, Tannehill threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns.[115] In the next game against the Jaguars, he threw for 239 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions during the 33–30 victory.[116] The following week against the Vikings, Tannehill recorded 321 passing yards and an interception in the narrow 31–30 road victory.[117] Two weeks later against the Bills, he threw for 195 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 42 yards and a touchdown in the 42–16 victory.[118] In the next game against the Texans, Tannehill threw for 364 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception during the 42–36 overtime victory.[119] During a Week 13 41–35 loss against the Browns, he threw for 389 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception.[120] Two weeks later against the Detroit Lions, Tannehill threw for 273 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 21 yards and two touchdowns in the 46–25 victory.[121] In the next game against the Green Bay Packers, he threw for 121 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions and rushed for 55 yards, which included a 45-yard touchdown run, during the 40–14 road loss.[122] In the regular-season finale against the Texans, Tannehill threw for 216 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 38 yards and two touchdowns in the 41–38 road victory.[123]
Tannehill finished the 2020 season with 3,819 passing yards, a career-high 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions to go along with 43 carries for 266 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns in 16 games and starts.[124] The Titans finished atop the AFC South with an 11–5 record and qualified for the playoffs. In the Wild Card Round against the Ravens, Tannehill threw for 165 yards, a touchdown, and an interception during the 20–13 loss.[125] He was ranked 83rd by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2021.[126]
During the season-opening 38–13 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Tannehill threw for 212 yards, a touchdown, and an interception while also rushing for 17 yards and a touchdown in the season-opening 38-13.[127] In the next game against the Seattle Seahawks, he threw for 347 yards during the 33–30 overtime road victory.[128] The following week against the Indianapolis Colts, Tannehill threw for 197 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions in the 25–16 victory.[129]
During a Week 16 20–17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, Tannehill threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns and had a critical 23-yard rush that put the Titans in field goal range for Randy Bullock to kick the game-winning field goal.[130][131] In the next game against his former team, the Miami Dolphins, Tannehill threw for 120 yards and two touchdowns during the 34–3 victory.[132] The following week against the Houston Texans, he completed 23-of-32 passes for 287 yards and four touchdowns in the 28–25 road victory.[133] Tannehill was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.[134]
Tannehill finished the 2021 regular season with 3,734 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions to go along with 55 carries for 270 yards and tying a career-high seven rushing touchdowns.[135] He led the Titans to back-to-back AFC South titles for the first time in franchise history as well as clinching the #1 seed in the AFC for the first time since 2008.[136] During the Divisional Round against the Bengals, Tannehill threw for 220 yards and a touchdown, but threw three interceptions in the 19–16 loss.[137]
During the narrow season-opening 21–20 loss to the Giants, Tannehill played well, throwing for 266 yards and two touchdowns.[138] However, in the next game against the Bills, Tannehill threw for 117 yards and two interceptions and was benched for rookie Malik Willis in the third quarter of the 41–7 road loss.[139] He suffered an ankle injury in Week 7 and missed the next two games.[140] He then aggravated the injury in the Week 15 17–14 road loss to the Chargers and missed the following game before being placed on injured reserve on December 29, 2022.[141]
Tannehill finished the 2022 season with 2,536 passing yards, 13 passing touchdowns, and six interceptions to go along with 98 rushing yards and two touchdowns in 12 games and starts.[142]
Tannehill returned as the starting quarterback for the Titans in 2023, despite competition from Malik Willis and rookie Will Levis.[143]
During a Week 6 24–16 loss to the Ravens in London, Tannehill suffered a high ankle sprain and missed the next two games.[144] During that span, Levis filled in as the starter and led the team to a 28–23 victory over the Falcons in his first start, but lost to the Steelers 20–16 in Week 9.[145][146]
In Week 10, head coach Mike Vrabel announced that Levis would be the Titans starting quarterback moving forward and that Tannehill would be his backup.[147] Tannehill started two of the Titans' last three games due to injuries to Levis, including a 28–20 Week 18 victory where he threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns to eliminate the rival Jaguars from the playoffs.[148]
Tannehill went 3–5 in his 8 starts in 2023, as the Titans finished 6–11 and last place in the AFC South.[149] He finished the season with 1,616 passing yards, four touchdowns, and seven interceptions to go along with 74 rushing yards and a touchdown.[150]
In May 2011, Tannehill graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology.[158] He had planned to become an orthopedic surgeon specializing in knee injuries.[159]
Tannehill has his own charitable foundation called Achieving Community and Education Success (ACES), which helps high school students with their grades and encourages them to get involved in their community.[160] He also represented Lifewater International for the NFL's 2020 My Cause My Cleats campaign.[161]
