There are few things a National Football League team fears more than losing their starting quarterback to injury.
Having to replace the man under center can derail an offense altogether, and the Green Bay Packers are hoping to avoid such a fate. Franchise quarterback Jordan Love suffered an MCL sprain in the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday.
All in all, Love's injury could have been much worse. He's likely going to miss three to six weeks, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Nevertheless, with a loss already under their belt, the Packers have an uphill battle to get their season on track.
Backup quarterback was one of the primary concerns of the Packers preseason, and now it will immediately be put to the test. Though the Packers traded a seventh-round pick for former Tennessee Titans backup Malik Willis, this job could call for a more proven signal-caller.
Including, potentially, Willis' teammate on the Titans last season.
Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports proposed that the Packers could sign free agent Ryan Tannehill, the longtime starter of the Titans, to take over for Love and help Green Bay stay in playoff contention.
"Speaking of former Titans quarterbacks, not only is Tannehill the best available free-agent quarterback, but he knows a little bit about coming in and saving a team's season," Dajani said. "Back in 2019, Tannehill replaced Marcus Mariota under center and helped Tennessee win seven of its final 10 games.... It earned Tannehill NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors."
A 2019 Pro-Bowler, Tannehill has nearly 35,000 passing yards in his 11-year career. After six seasons with the Miami Dolphins and five with the Titans, the veteran has been uncertain about the next steps in his career.
Tannehill started just eight games in 2023, an injury-plagued season that also saw him lose the starting job to rookie Will Levis. But there could be good football left in the tank if Tannehill lands with the right team.
"The 36-year-old Tannehill said this offseason he was looking for the right opportunity," Dajani said. "While he will have to come in and quickly learn the offense, opportunities don't get much better than this."
The Packers do appear to be a perfect opportunity. But would they choose Tannehill as their ideal backup plan? The next few days could provide the answer.
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