The Ryan Tannehill trade rumors just died a quick death

So much for all those trade rumors — here’s the latest indication that Ryan Tannehill is planning to stay on the Tennessee Titans for at least the 2023 season. 

The Tennessee Titans quarterback position is looking a little clearer after a direct statement from general manager Ran Carthon, who shared his very brief two cents on the Ryan Tannehill trade rumors.

In the last week, the Titans have been busy trying to free up cap space for the upcoming season, even if that means dropping former Pro Bowl players like breaking up with a long-time beau. Left tackle Taylor Lewan, who was recently cut by Tennessee, posted a picture of garbage bags holding his belongings that the team presumably dumped on his porch after Lewan’s release. That’s one surefire way to get closure, all right.

Lewan was just one of a handful of Titans’ cap casualties this offseason, joining Robert Woods and Randy Bullock in free agency limbo hoping to find a more loving home.

Whereas Lewan and others got booted to the curb pretty quickly, quarterback Ryan Tannehill appears, at the moment, immune to trade talks and will be part of the Titans’ plans moving forward.

Ran Carthon stated in a Tuesday presser at the NFL Combine that Tannehill “is a Titan and will be a Titan,” vanquishing any potential rumors of a trade for the 34-year-old quarterback.

Titans GM swats away any potential trade rumors surrounding Ryan Tannehill

Tannehill will enter his fifth season in Tennessee in 2023 with no obvious successor in place. 2022 rookie Malik Willis played in eight games and started three, posing as a worthy candidate to supplant Tannehill in the future. But as everyone in the league (and especially the NY Jets) knows, rookie quarterbacks don’t always pan out.

Following news of the Titans’ ruthless roster cuts, many around the league were likely keeping a close eye on Tannehill, who could serve as a sturdy stopgap for a number of quarterback-needy franchises.

The former Miami Dolphins quarterback has one year remaining on his four-year, $118 million contract with the Titans and has helped build a respectable legacy in Tennessee. In his Titans’ tenure, Tannehill owns a 36-19 record in the regular season and reached the playoffs three straight times from 2019 to 2021.

With a new general manager and offensive coordinator running the show, Tennessee’s offense could undergo a drastic makeover in the wake of Robert Woods’ exit along with last offseason’s A.J. Brown trade.

Is Carthon just blowing smoke at the Tannehill situation, preparing for a potential trade up for the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2023? Possibly. For now, his words will offer brief solitude for Tannehill supporters in Tennessee, wherever they may be hiding.