Former Titans QB Could Find Way to Steelers

Ryan Tannehill played for Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith when he was with the Tennessee Titans.

Oct 18, 2020; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith talks with quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) before a game against the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Former Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill is still waiting at home as a free agent, but there's a potential landing spot that might make more sense for him than any of the other 31 teams.

Former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi believes Tannehill may be a fit for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"With the line being as bad as it was, is Ryan Tannehill sitting out their on the street ... do you make that phone call?" Lombardi said on The Pat McAfee Show. "Do you make the phone call to Ryan Tannehill? He knows Arthur's offense. The rookie first round pick from last year, [Broderick] Jones, just got pushed right back. Nobody can play quarterback in that situation."

The Steelers already have Russell Wilson and Justin Fields under center, both of whom started last season for the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears, respectively. Wilson is seen as the likely starter for Week 1, but Fields is more likely to be a long-term solution for the Steelers. However, if one or both of them get hurt, could Tannehill make sense as a replacement?

Tannehill played under Arthur Smith in 2019 and 2020 when he was a newly-signed quarterback and a rising offensive coordinator. The pair helped each other get to the next level as Tannehill emerged from a backup to a starter again and Smith ended up becoming the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons in 2021.

The Titans reached the AFC Championship Game that year but lost to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs as they went on to win their first of three Super Bowls in four years.

It would be unlikely for that system to work again given the fact that Tannehill is five years older and the Steelers don't have Derrick Henry in the backfield, but this isn't a far fetched idea for a Titans reunion on the horizon.

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