NFL Quarterback Power Rankings 2020: Patrick Mahomes is head of the class

When the former Dolphin signed with Tennessee last offseason, it seemed inevitable that he’d take over for Marcus Mariota eventually. The opportunity came in Week 6, and Ryan Tannehill seized it, replacing Mariota mid-game and completing over 80.0 percent of his pass attempts. Tannehill became the full-time starter in Week 7 and eventually led Tennessee to the AFC Championship Game.

During his 12 appearances and ten starts, Tannehill completed 70.3 percent of his pass attempts for 2,742 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He led the NFL in passer rating (117.5.), yards per pass attempt (9.6), and yards per completion (13.6) as well. Tannehill authored the most efficient performance by any quarterback in 2019.

Tannehill falls in a similar class as Garoppolo. Both players are starting-caliber quarterbacks, but neither will be the reason a team wins the Super Bowl. They need strong coaching, schemes, and offensive pieces around them.

If you think I’m talking nonsense, consider the following. Tannehill threw the ball 29 times between the Wild Card and Divisional rounds combined, completing 15 of his attempts. He accounted for 160 passing yards in the two wins. Meanwhile, Derrick Henry ran the ball 64 times for 377 yards in those early playoff games.

When Tennessee lost to Kansas City in the AFC Championship, Tannehill threw the ball 31 times for 209 yards. Henry only ran the ball 19 times for 69 yards. Henry’s play determined whether the Titans succeeded or not. Tennessee only needed Tannehill to avoid making mistakes and the team could win games regardless of his contributions.

Tannehill earns his rank on this list based on how efficiently he played last season. However, he seems like a prime candidate to drop several spots this year.