What GM Ran Carthon said about Ryan Tannehill, future of Tennessee Titans QB room

Few teams enter the 2023 with more decisions to make at quarterback than the Tennessee Titans.

The Titans introduced new general manager Ran Carthon on Friday. Carthon was peppered with questions about the future of the Titans' quarterback room.

Veteran Ryan Tannehill is still under contract, but the Titans could save $27 million against the salary cap if they waive or trade him after June 1. Rookie Malik Willis heads into his second year after a lackluster rookie season that saw him benched as a starter in favor of journeyman Joshua Dobbs, who had only been on the team eight days before making his first start. And Dobbs heads into free agency after playing well in his two starts but not leading the Titans to a win in either outing.

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In addition to the three quarterbacks on the active roster, the Titans also have a multitude of options to consider outside the locker room. Starting-caliber quarterbacks such as Lamar Jackson, Geno Smith, Tom Brady and Baker Mayfield are set to hit free agency.

The Titans own the No. 11 pick in the NFL Draft and are in striking distance to grab one of the top passers available. And Carthon comes to the Titans from the San Francisco 49ers, a team with three potential starters at quarterback, any of whom Carthon could have an inside track to acquiring.

With so many options at the league's premier position, Carthon has plenty to consider.

"We’re still evaluating the roster," Carthon said during his introductory news conference. "Ryan has been great here. He’s won a lot of football games. But I still need more time to evaluate and make those decisions. This is a quarterback-driven league. I want to spend more time evaluating that position."

Tannehill played well when he was on the field in 2022, throwing 13 touchdowns with six interceptions and completing 65.2% of his passes for 7.8 yards per attempt. But he missed five games with a recurring ankle injury that, even when it wasn't sidelining him, limited his mobility and creativity in the back half of the season. He'll turn 35 years old in July and only has one more year on his contract if the Titans choose to keep him.

Willis started three games in Tannehill's absence and appeared in eight total. He threw three interceptions without a touchdown and only completed 50.8% of his passes, but he rushed 27 times for 123 yards and a score. Willis was indecisive and slow through his progressions in most of his appearances, leading to Dobbs taking over for the season's final two games. Dobbs threw for 411 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions and progressed through his reads quicker than Willis, but he struggled with ball security, leading to four fumbles in his two losses to go with his interceptions.

Tannehill has been the Titans' primary starter since midway through the 2019 season when he replaced Marcus Mariota. The Titans acquired Tannehill in an offseason trade with the Miami Dolphins. Prior to his ankle injury in October, Tannehill hadn't missed a start since becoming the Titans starter in 2019. He told The Tennessean he had surgery on his right ankle he re-aggravated the injury in December but does not expect rehab to last longer than a handful of weeks.

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Ran Carthon: Tennessee Titans GM on Ryan Tannehill, quarterback future