Disagree with the entire premise. I like Hyde but he’s not right here. Tannehill has always been at his BEST when personally doubted and thrown into the fire that way.
He lost the competition with Stephen McGee and subsequently Jerod Johnson at A&M so what did he do? Became an All Conference WIDE RECEIVER while pulling double duty.
He finally got a shot to play in his fourth year after 3.5 years of eating **** from Mike Sherman, who first kept him benched behind McGee and then Jerod Johnson (neither being NFL players), what happens? Those first four games, Tannehill goes on an absolute tear. It was his chance to tell Mike Sherman, “**** you, you made a huge mistake” and he nailed it.
Then comes 2014 and probably unbeknownst to Tannehill, Philbin sold him out by requesting Ireland draft Derek Carr. Ireland says no. Then three games into the year after a few bad performances Philbin publicly refuses to name Tannehill the starter. It was big deal. National news. Everyone in the organization heard it. Dan Marino was pissed on Ryan’s behalf. Tannehill wouldn’t say it publicly but he was really pissed. What happens? That very week he goes out there and murders the Raiders in London. From that game thru the rest of the year he had like a 100 passer rating.
Then in 2016 he struggles as the entire offense is trying to install Gase’s new offense. Fans and media alike after the Titans game start calling for his head. Demanding he be benched. Media won’t stop asking Gase. So Gase says **** you guys, I’m not putting up with this anymore, declares definitively and publicly that Ryan Tannehill has been named the starting QB for the remainder of 2016 hell or high water. From that point on Tannehill has a 100 passer rating, 7-1 record, not taking sacks, running for yards, etc.
Complacency has always been Tannehill’s biggest enemy. He plays especially well when everyone is trying to shovel dirt over his grave. Had they drafted a Josh Rosen, Tannehill probably has the best year of his career. That’s the way he is.
Luckily tho, after missing 19 games or whatever with the knee, and being written off by everyone EXCEPT his coach, I think there’s already plenty of motivation there.
