Titans’ Ryan Tannehill Shares Motivation From Playoff Loss to Bengals

Heading into his fourth NFL season, Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill told reporters on Thursday that he is most motivated by his past experience in the playoffs, specifically losing to the Bengals in last season’s AFC divisional round.

The Titans had the ball with the game tied at 16 with less than 30 seconds remaining, but Tannehill tried to force a pass on third down that was tipped and interception. After the veteran QB’s third pick of the day, Cincinnati kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired.

Even though the 34-year-old has posted a 30–13 overall record with the Titans in three seasons, the quarterback has struggled in crucial moments. Tannehill has gone 2–3 in the playoffs, including losing the last three postseason games.

“It's just fuel,” Tannehill said, via the Associated Press. "You look at things in your past and experiences that you’ve been through and you can learn from them and you can use them as fuel as you move forward. So that’s the thought here in moving forward is attacking this year, each and every day and try to get the most out of it.”

Tannehill previously opened up about how difficult the January playoff loss was for him, admitting that he went to therapy in the offseason to help get him out of the “dark place” the loss put him in.

The quarterback hopes to bring the Titans to their fourth straight playoff appearance in the 2022 season. The team is going to look a little different, too, after top receiver A.J. Brown was traded to the Eagles in the offseason.

Additionally, the Titans drafted a backup quarterback in Malik Willis. Tannehill’s contract with Tennessee will run through 2023.

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