Ever since Arthur Smith was appointed as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ next offensive coordinator, Ryan Tannehill has been connected to
the organization on a regular basis.
It is expected that Tannehill would be signed by the Steelers to back up Kenny Pickett if they choose to sign him instead of going after
one of the bigger stars available this offseason.
Maybe if he is truly brought in, that won’t be the way things remain.
Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr made a bold prediction for every NFL team in 2024, and he said Ryan Tannehill would end up starting
at least four games for the Steelers.
This isn’t meant to be disparaging of Kenny Pickett; rather, it’s an admission that the Steelers are under some pressure to win, that
their division is competitive, and that they pursued Arthur Smith vigorously when the Falcons released Smith. A pending free agent,
Mason Rudolph may have more upside than Tannehill, but the Steelers may be able to work some Tommy Maddox-like magic with the
former first-round choice.
Put pressure on Pickett
Orr talked on the strain on the Steelers to succeed, and in 2024, Pickett will undoubtedly experience same pressure.
The young quarterback has had difficulty since the team selected him with the 20th overall pick in 2022 to take Ben Roethlisberger’s
spot as the team’s starting quarterback.
As an NFL starting quarterback, Pickett has a winning record, but his performances haven’t always been up to par.
Through the first two seasons of his career, he has averaged 179 passing yards per game and has a touchdown to interception ratio of
1:1.
His troubles were mostly attributed to Matt Canada, the former offensive coordinator. Since Canada is no longer there, nobody will be
held accountable if Pickett fails to improve.
The group is providing him with
Perhaps the quarterback in 2024 will have some past interactions with the offensive coordinator of the team.
The Steelers’ Fit with Tannehill
The fact that Tannehill is accustomed to the playbook the Steelers will be running gives him a significant edge over other quarterbacks
they may consider this offseason.
It so happens that he spent the best seasons of his NFL career with that offense.
Under Smith’s direction for two seasons, Tannehill completed 28 games with 6561 yards and 55 touchdowns passing. In one of those
seasons, he was even nominated to the Pro Bowl.
Tannehill played for Smith and finished with an 18-8 record as a starter.
With the Titans’ run-first attack that included a lot of play action, he was very successful. He signed a $4-year, $118 million contract
with Tennessee as a result of that play.
Tannehill wouldn’t have to go through a learning curve to take over as the starting quarterback if Pickett falters and the Steelers
choose to concede.
Perhaps the best group of pass catchers Tannehill has ever played with in his NFL career would be Diontae Johnson, George Pickens,
Pat Freiermuth, and any new slot receiver the team might sign in the offseason.
After a difficult 2023 season, the former Titans quarterback is thought to have
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