Is Ryan Tannehill playing tonight in Week 2 of the NFL preseason when the Tennessee Titans take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? After the Titans kept the majority of their starters out of the game last week, will Week 2 be the first time we see Tannehill and the other starters in 2021?
Is Ryan Tannehill playing tonight?
Heading into Saturday, the Titans have not confirmed whether Tannehill will be playing tonight. However, even if we do see him, it will likely not be for more than a drive or two.
The Titans have little to work out offensively in 2021
When you look across the Titans’ depth chart for 2021, you can see why they have not rushed Tannehill out on the field in the preseason. The majority of the offense is set to be very similar. The offensive line has similar faces. Meanwhile, both Derrick Henry and A.J. Brown remain.
The biggest difference is that Julio Jones will replace Corey Davis, while Josh Reynolds could potentially take over as the WR3 in Tennessee. The QB-WR chemistry is something that Tannehill and the Titans’ WR room can work on outside of preseason games.
At tight end, Jonnu Smith has departed, but Anthony Firkser has played with Tannehill before. Equally, Geoff Swaim is a veteran tight end, and the pair can work on that relationship in terms of pass-catching timing and nuance in practice.
Tannehill has had a major knee injury in his career
During his time with the Miami Dolphins, Tannehill suffered a major knee injury. In August 2017, Tannehill suffered a torn ACL in practice. He would miss the entire 2017 season. At times during the 2018 season, Tannehill still appeared to be hampered by his knee. Additionally, he missed five games with a shoulder injury.
Since being traded to the Titans, Tannehill has managed to remain healthy. However, non-contact knee injuries, and throwing-shoulder injuries for that matter, are not something to take likely. The less time Tannehill is on the field in the preseason, the less chance he has of reaggravating those old injuries.
Ben Rolfe is a Senior Managing Editor at Pro Football Network and is also a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA). You can find him on Twitter @BenRolfePFN.