The Vikings’ decision to commit to J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback for 2025 — and shelve the idea of signing Aaron Rodgers — has opened the door for a veteran QB to be added.
It appears that might be Ryan Tannehill.
Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reported Friday that the Vikings have discussed potentially signing the 36-year-old, who did not play last season.
The possibility of Tannehill to Minnesota raised immediate questions about what type of fit he would be playing behind McCarthy. After the Tennessee Titans selected Malik Willis in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft, Tannehill made it clear he wasn’t going to mentor his potential relaplacement.
“We’re competing against each other. We’re watching the same tape and doing the same drills,” Tannehill said that spring. “I don’t think it’s my job to mentor him, but if he learns from me along the way, then that’s a great thing.”
Attempting to make any comparisons between Tannehill’s situation then and now is a stretch. Tannehill had established himself as the Titans’ starting quarterback and had just led his team to 12 victories.
Tannehill, the eighth pick in the 2012 draft by the Miami Dolphins, joined Tennessee in 2019 and went 7-3 as a starter, earning Pro Bowl and Comeback Player of the Year honors. In his first three seasons in Tennessee, the Titans won 30 of his 43 starts and recorded double-digit wins in 2020 and ’21. Tannehill threw 76 touchdown passes, registered a 102 passer rating and the Titans went to the playoffs all three seasons.
The Titans’ attempt to find their quarterback of the future was understandable — even if it didn’t work — but Tannehill was 33 and wanted to keep his job.
If Tannehill signs with the Vikings, he would be joining a team after a year away from the NFL and knowing exactly what would be expected of him.
One thing that’s become silly is the feeling that veterans who hold starting jobs — especially quarterbacks — should be willing mentors to the rookie who was drafted as their replacement. This dates to the Packers drafting Aaron Rodgers in 2005 and Brett Favre making it clear he wasn’t going to mentor the first-round draft pick.
Favre, and later Tannehill, didn’t sound like great teammates, but do you really want a starting quarterback who is overjoyed about having his replacement breathing down his neck? It would be one thing to attempt to sabotage the new guy, but that’s not what Tannehill was doing.
Tannehill, who drew interest from teams in 2024 but didn’t find a situation he liked, would bring valuable experience from his 11 NFL seasons.
Tannehill would start training camp getting second-team reps and he would be expected to be ready if McCarthy’s surgically repaired knee, or any other injury, became an issue.
If Tannehill was able to push McCarthy because of how he was playing in training camp or the preseason, Kevin O’Connell likely would consider that to be more valuable than the mentoring McCarthy can get from any number of coaches on the Vikings’ staff.