For Titans QB Ryan Tannehill, Heavy Spring Workload Had Positive Results

Tennessee quarterback Ryan Tannehill didn't have to be at every Titans offseason workout this spring, but he showed up every day to put in the work. He still feels like the Titans can win football games this fall, and he's doing everything he can to make sure that happens.

NASHVILLE — There are several reasons — several good ones, really — why veteran Tennessee quarterback Ryan Tannehill has been at every workout in the offseason. 

He wants to get better. He wants his young teammates to get better, too. But most importantly, he still wants to win football games on Sundays.

And that is his plan, no matter the national public perspective about the Titans, a presumed bottom feeder this season. Tannehill just doesn't see it that way. 

"Every year is different, but I'll say that we have a lot of confidence in ourselves in our ability to go out and compete and win games,'' Tannehill said. ''We expect to win games on Sundays. That's why we're out here every day, that's why we're here voluntarily throughout the spring and we're going to push ourselves throughout the summer. 

"We put everything we have into it mentally, physically, emotionally, it's to go out and win games on Sunday. There's a lot of confidence in that locker room, and we have to keep pushing that throughout the fall and training camp. We worked with a purpose throughout the spring.''

Tannehill has been the Titans' starting quarterback since 2019 and he'll be 35 next month. Tennessee was 7-3 at one point last season, but an ankle injury forced him off the field. When it did, the Titans' season went off the rails. 

They lost their last seven games, including the season finale against Jacksonville when another AFC South division title slipped away. Tannehill threw for just 2,536 yards and 13 touchdown, both career lows during his four years in Tennessee.

That's why getting back to work is important to him. He's healthy now, and he's been a full participant every day. That has mattered a lot, especially with new offensive coordinator Tim Kelly installing a new simpler but faster offense.   

"We did a lot of good things throughout this spring, especially with this new offense and being able to stack those reps up with each individual player,'' Tannehill said. "We had great attendance throughout the spring with each position, so stacking that rep count up and up as the spring went on and seeing multiple looks against these plays, that's big. 

"Everyone can talk through it afterward and see the tape together, where we can grow and get better. A month later, it's been a lot of fun and we can grow on that from here.''

Tannehill has a new quarterback coach in Charles London, who came over from Atlanta where he worked with veteran Matt Ryan as well as several young quarterbacks. Tannehill has enjoyed their relationship so far.

"Charles has been great. He does a good job of letting us know what's expected of us each and every day,'' Tannehill said. "He preps us for practice and what's going in, getting everything consolidated and we're all on the same page and we know what's expected of as we go out here, and holding us to that standard every day with the drills he puts us through.

"We you have continuity across the offense, from coach to coach and coach to player, it makes everything more clear and lets the standard be clear for everybody. We're trying to attack each and every day, Yeah, it's a learning process, but being able to take advantage of these reps in the spring, it lets us hit the ground running.''

The Titans' offensive line was a mess last year, and Tannehill and Malik Willis, a rookie thrown into the fire at the time, got roughed up. Tennessee has made a lot of changes up front with free agents and draft picks, including first-round pick Peter Skoronski.

There's been more continuity along that line through the spring workouts, both the mandatory practices last week and the well-attended voluntary workouts before and after. They are hoping that all translates to more victories in 2023. 

"It's huge, just being able to all get on the same page and all be confident in all the terminology that we're using and not be thinking and decoding things at the line of scrimmage,'' Tannehill said. "We all need to break the huddle and go to the line confidently, all knowing exactly what's expected of us.

"I don't know if I expected anything (about getting settled in OTAs). I expected guys to come out and work. We'll see when we go to training camp, because there's going to be competition across the board. We'll see as we gel together as a unit and that group is playing together as one.''

Tannehill said he was also part of DeAndre Hopkins' visit earlier this week. The veteran Pro Bowl wide receiver who is a free agent now after being released by Arizona, visited with the Titans on Sunday and Monday.

"We were able to connect a couple of times and we had some good conversations,'' he said. ''We'll see what happens here. I hadn't met him before, so I had a good time meeting him and his girlfriend and spend a little time together. He'd be a good fit here, but we'll see what happens.''