Tennessee Titans 2023 Free Agency Primer: Quarterback Market is Risk/Reward Conundrum

The Tennessee Titans have Ryan Tannehill at quarterback, but they could choose to make a change at the position in 2023. If they do so through 2023 NFL Free Agency, it will be a major gamble.

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans can take a multitude of different paths at the quarterback position this offseason including keeping current passer Ryan Tannehill, drafting a rookie in the April or signing a new quarterback in free agency. They may even need to combine of few of those options together to make the 2023 quarterback room.

Not only does Ryan Tannehill’s status seem to be up in the air, but it will be interesting to watch what happens with second-year quarterback Malik Willis. Willis had his ups and downs in his rookie season, but he was also not expected to be ready to start games in year one. Only the coaches, who see Willis in the upcoming offseason activities will know whether he’s made enough progress to keep his roster spot after camp. The Titans may choose to add a quarterback in free agency for a backup role as well.

Here are some options for the Titans at all levels of the market in 2023 free agency. Free agency kicks off on March 15.

All contract estimations are courtesy of Spotrac.com. Lamar Jackson, Daniel Jones and Geno Smith are franchise tag candidates and will be excluded from the list.

Top of the Market

Derek Carr – $37.7 Million/season Estimate

The Titans have been rumored to be a team interested in Derek Carr. Carr is a fine quarterback, but how much of an upgrade would it be over current quarterback Ryan Tannehill is the question the Titans must ask themselves. If Carr gets close to his estimated contract, he would be roughly the same cost as Tannehill and is only a few years younger at nearly 32 years old. Add in that the Titans will be eating $9-18 million on the salary cap no matter how or when they part with Tannehill, the combination of Carr’s new money and Tannehill’s dead money will be hard to prefer over just keeping Tannehill for one more season.

Jimmy Garoppolo - $34.5 Million/season Estimate

New Titans’ general manager Ran Carthon may be interested in Garoppolo after spending time with him in San Francisco, but as outlined when dealing with Carr, it would be hard to stomach eating new money for Garoppolo while still having dead money from Tannehill on your plate. All three quarterbacks, Tannehill, Carr and Garoppolo, seem relatively equal so Tannehill will cost the least in total money allocated to the quarterback spot at the end of the day.

Mid-Tier Place Holders

Baker Mayfield – $6.5 Million/season Estimate

An interesting route the Titans could take at quarterback would be to downgrade from Tannehill in an attempt to make the roster better around the quarterback by using the savings from a Tannehill departure. In theory, the Titans could release Tannehill, saving nearly $18 million in cap space, and then use a small chunk of that to bring in a player like Mayfield. Yes, this would be a drop off in talent, but the drop off may not be steep enough to scare Carthon away from getting his hands on the savings. Probably not a favorite option of the Titans’ brass, but a possibility. Mayfield, when properly surrounded, may be able to get you a playoff berth, but not much more.

Carson Wentz – No Estimate Available

Wentz was released the day of this article’s writing and will be an interesting name on the market. Odds are Wentz, after being on three teams in three years, has worn out any view that he may be a franchise quarterback, but he still has more raw ability than anyone else in this range. He may get somewhere from $10-15 million for a season. The Titans may prefer to take a chance on Wentz’ talent in hopes that they can coach up some of the decision making and accuracy issues. Doing so for less money than Tannehill is set to make might be enticing to them. Wentz is 30 years old and just under a half of a decade younger than Tannehill.

Sam Darnold - $5.1 Million/season Estimate

Darnold is still only 25 years old, a whole two years younger than Baker Mayfield. For comparison, Darnold is only a few months older than Hendon Hooker who is about to be drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. For around $5 million, there may be teams willing to give Darnold another shot as more than a backup. For the Titans, Darnold at $5 million plus $18 million in dead money from releasing Tannehill may be more appetizing than Tannehill at over $36 million on the cap, although doubtful.

Backup Only Bargains

Jacoby Brissett - $5.7 Million/season Estimate

Any of the three options discussed in the mid-tier range could be backup options as well, but Brissett knows he is a backup for the rest of his career and that has value. If the Titans want to be serious about winning as many games as possible they could consider getting one of the best backups in recent memory in Brissett.

Case Keenum - $6 Million/season Estimate

Keenum is another guy like Brissett who will be in a backup role for the rest of his career, but unlike Brissett, Keenum has played at the highest level and even won a playoff game. Keenum as a backup to Tannehill or a rookie quarterback could make a lot of sense for the Titans.

Nick Mullens - $2 Million/season Estimate

Mullens has been a steady, but not flashy backup for quite some time. Mullens has actually won five starts in his career and played competitive football. Last year he played in four games for the Minnesota Vikings and put up 224 yards on 25 throws with one touchdown, one interception and a 100.7 passer rating. He would signal a clear upgrade over the Titans’ backup situation the past few seasons with Logan Woodside and Malik Willis.

Josh Dobbs – No Estimate Available

Dobbs played in two games for the Titans this year and provided a mixed bag of results. While Dobbs provided some of the best quarterback play the Titans saw in 2023, he also committed four turnovers in those two games and led the team to zero wins. However, after watching Dobbs put up 411 yards and two touchdowns, the safest move for the Titans might be getting Dobbs back to compete with Willis for the backup quarterback role without breaking the bank.

Taylor Lewan Released: In an expected move, the Tennessee Titans have officially released left tackle Taylor Lewan. With Lewan's release, it appears likely that Tennessee will begin looking for a new long-term starter at left tackle, whether through free agency or the draft. CLICK HERE

Robert Woods Released: According to a report from Jordan Schultz, the Titans are releasing veteran wide receiver Robert Woods. The move will clear $12 million in cap space while leaving behind $2.6 million in dead money. CLICK HERE

Titans' Free Agent Fits - Offensive Tackle: The biggest need the Tennessee Titans have on the roster right now is at left tackle. There will be a bevy of viable options to fill that need in free agency this offseason, at all price points. CLICK HERE