Sam Darnold or Ryan Tannehill: Which quarterback would you want?

The Final Verdict: Tannehill or Darnold?

What we know about these two quarterbacks is, ironically, what we don’t know. We don’t know how good Darnold actually is because he hasn’t had a good chance to prove it. He hasn’t been around long enough nor has he had a good enough supporting cast. Then again, how good is a quarterback if he needs that much help?

As for Tannehill, we don’t know if 2019 was a fluke, or if it was a changing of the guard for the veteran passer. We also don’t know just how influential Tannehill was to the Titans’ storybook playoff run, or if it was the other way around. Though the stats indicate Tannehill was the difference-maker, he was undeniably not the sole reason behind Tennessee’s unexpected trip to the conference championship.

But we can assume anything. And it’s those assumptions that will be the driving force for choosing between Darnold or Tannehill. The answer to this debate lies in your answers to many of the discussed questions.

And in doing so, you may find yourself stuck in other ageless debates. How important is youth to a quarterback’s value? Their supporting cast? Previous seasons? At what length does projection play a role in determining a quarterback’s value, or will you simply rely on what has been presented so far?

Maybe the answer isn’t the answer at all. Maybe there isn’t one, at least not now. There may not be an answer for 33 years. Because the debate between Darnold and Tannehill falls under the wider umbrella of discussing quarterback value. And no one has the same criteria to defining a quarterback’s value. 32 teams will look at each passer differently, and with that, lies my own reluctant answer to the Darnold-Tannehill debate.

It’s an answer that isn’t really an answer, yet it will be the one thing this discussion gets remembered for. Because most people only seek the results, not the path leading to the results.

My answer: Give me Tannehill, but only on teams with an established offense and coaching staff. He wouldn’t succeed in Darnold’s place, just like Darnold would likely succeed in Tannehill’s situation. But of the two, only Tannehill has shown he can handle being a starting quarterback, even if the circumstances are in Tannehill’s favor.

For those just skimming for an answer to get mad about, I’d go with Tannehill as my starter on roughly 20 teams. I don’t think either quarterback has done enough to convince me that they’re a franchise quarterback, yet that again opens up the question of what exactly is a franchise quarterback. I think Darnold has slightly more talent and much more potential, but I think Tannehill is slightly more proven and therefore, safer.

In my mind, safety is usually more valuable than projection. Now if you had asked me which quarterback I’d rather have in five years, the answer will differ. But for now, I’d rather have Tannehill as my quarterback, though not by much. I’m happy to discuss more on my Twitter @ZachCohenFB.