Why the Chargers Should Consider Signing Ryan Tannehill After Herbert Injury

James Brizuela | Aug 2, 2024

Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) heads off the field after beating the Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. The Titans beat the Jaguars 28-20 to knock them out of the playoffs. / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Los Angeles Chargers find themselves in a tough spot now that Justin Herbert is going to be sidelined for weeks with a foot injury. Herbert being injured again can only remind the team of what occurred last season when the team ended 2023 with a paltry 5-12 record.

The protection for Herbert was severely lacking, and that led to his season ending early. With this new injury, the team might want to explore signing more veteran depth.

Easton Stick did a decent enough job when he was starting in 2023, but that does not necessarily mean he is the right person to lead the team if Herbert's injury requires him to miss even more time.

In five games, Stick secured 1,129 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. These are not horrible stats by any means, but Stick taking over as starting duties might not be the right way to go.

The other quarterbacks on the depth chart for the Chargers are upcoming second-year Max Duggan and rookie Casey Bauman.

Even if Stick were to be the day-one starter if Herbert cannot go, what would happen if he were to get hurt? The team would then have to rely on using Duggan or Bauman.

This should be a bit worrisome for the Chargers, and they should look into signing a proven veteran. One of the better veterans that has yet to sign with a new team is former Titans quarterback, Ryan Tannehill.

Tannehill had a rough past two seasons, but that does not mean that he is not a quality backup quarterback.

In 2022, he secured 2,536 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions. In 2023, he secured 1,616 yards, four touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

Granted, 2023 looks far worse than 2022, but Tannehill could still be the perfect veteran for the Chargers.

Herbert is slated to be ready for Week 1, but that does not mean his foot injury could be reaggravated or somehow manifest into something worse down the line. The hope is that won't be the case, but anything can happen in football.

Tannehill also has playoff experience. During his five seasons with the Titans, he helped lead the team to three postseason appearances. Granted, none of those amounted to a Super Bowl win, but playoff experience does matter.

The Chargers are hoping that Herbert will not be injured for a significant amount of time, but his broken finger and now injured foot might raise the kind of concerns the team will look at in determining to sign more veteran help.

With Tannehill looking for a job as a backup or starter, this could be the perfect opportunity.