The Vikings need a veteran quarterback. And they’re reportedly talking to one who hasn’t played since January 2024.
The Vikings are in communication with Ryan Tannehill, reports Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports.
As we hear it, the Vikings consider Tannehill a potential option. However, no deal has been discussed. Tannehill, we’re told, is very happy in Nashville. He has made nearly $200 million during his career.
The 36-year-old Tannehill never signed with any team in 2024. As we explained in September, was being “very selective” about his next destination. He would need to have a compelling opportunity to move his family.
The eighth overall pick in the 2012 draft (which also produced Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson, Nick Foles, and Kirk Cousins), Tannehill spent seven seasons with the Dolphins and five with the Titans.
Tannehill and current Vikings QB1 are represented by the same firm. That would make things awkward, to say the least, is the Vikings were to take the position that Tannehill has a chance to start, in order to get him to move his family to Minneapolis.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has written to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell as part of Nashville’s bid to host Super Bowl LXIII in February of 2029.
The next three Super Bowls have been awarded to San Francisco, Los Angeles and Atlanta. That leaves the 2029 game as the first one available for the new Nissan Stadium in Nashville, and Lee says his state has earned the opportunity.
“I am writing in support of efforts for Nashville to be the host city for the next available Super Bowl in 2029. As Tennessee’s capital and a dynamic global hub, the city of Nashville is uniquely positioned to welcome the NFL for a memorable and successful event,” Lee’s letter said. “Nashville is an easily accessible, top global destination with a proven track record of hosting safe and seamless large-scale events like the NFL Draft, CMA Fest and the SEC Championship. Football fans will no doubt enjoy Music City’s world-famous honky-tonks, live music, attractions, and restaurants. The State of Tennessee’s investment in the construction of the new Nissan Stadium reflects our commitment to hosting the world’s most anticipated sporting event. This thoughtfully designed state-of-the-art stadium, which will boast the closest viewing experience in football, is sure to provide an unrivaled experience to players and fans.”
The Titans’ new Nissan Stadium is currently under construction and will open for the 2027 NFL season, replacing the existing Nissan Stadium that the Titans have played in since 1999.
More than half of the estimated $2.1 billion price tag for New Nissan Stadium was picked up by the taxpayers, and that kind of public investment is usually rewarded with a Super Bowl. It would be a surprise if Nashville doesn’t get a Super Bowl soon, although Las Vegas is also in the running for the 2029 game.
The Titans entered free agency in the market for a left tackle, and there weren’t many great options. That’s why they gave Dan Moore Jr. a four-year, $82 million deal.
It ranks as one of the most surprising deals of free agency and one of the most high-risk, considering Moore’s $20.5 million annual average is tied for sixth at his position.
Moore knows to whom much is given, much is expected.
“Obviously, I want to exceed expectations,” Moore said Thursday, via Jim Wyatt of the team website. “But it’s not only about proving the team right, it’s about proving myself right. I feel like my expectations will always be higher than anyone else’s are for me. I feel like by meeting my expectations, I’ll exceed the team’s expectations.
“So, not only do I want to prove them right, I want to prove them damn right, where [they’re thinking]: ‘We got our guy. He didn’t just do what we needed him to do, he did that and more.’ That is the consensus I want in the organization.”
Moore is a big piece in the Titans’ remake of their offensive line. His signing moves JC Latham, the Titans’ first-round pick in 2024, to right tackle. Peter Skoronski, another first-rounder, will play left guard, with Lloyd Cushenberry at center and Kevin Zeitler, another free agent signee, at right guard.
Moore, 26, entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the Steelers in 2021, and he started 66 of a possible 68 games at left tackle in his time in Pittsburgh. But the Steelers moved on for a reason, as Moore allowed a career-worst 12 sacks in 2024, per Pro Football Focus.
But his age and his experience has the Titans — and Moore — excited about his future.
“Every year I feel like I have progressed and have gotten better each offseason. That’s something I take pride in,” Moore said. “Obviously, Pittsburgh wouldn’t have had me as the starting left tackle the last four years if not. I think this past season I was able to tap into some things that I wasn’t able to in the past, just being an older guy, things slowing down for me, things happening more naturally for me. I really feel the game is coming to me now.”
The Titans have signed veteran edge rusher Lorenzo Carter, the team announced Thursday.
He is the 10th free agent to sign with the Titans this offseason.
Carter spent the past three seasons with the Falcons. In 2014, he appeared in 13 games, with 11 starts, seeing action on 409 defensive snaps and 51 on special teams.
He had 32 tackles, no sacks and two quarterback hits.
The Giants made Carter a third-round pick in 2018, and he played four seasons in New York and three with the Falcons.
He has played 3,764 defensive snaps and 674 on special teams in 96 games with 62 starts. Carter has totaled 278 tackles, 18 passes defensed, 21.5 sacks and 58 quarterback hits.
Linebacker Jerome Baker’s search for a new team has taken him to Cleveland.
Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports that Baker is visiting with the Browns. The Browns have also signed guard Teven Jenkins and cornerback Tony Brown on Thursday.
Baker began last season with the Seahawks and started the first five games of the year before being traded to the Titans. He appeared in five more games for Tennessee and finished the year with 61 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery across the two stops.
Baker spent his first six seasons with the Dolphins and had 587 tackles, 22.5 sacks, five interceptions, six forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery during his time in Miami.
Free agent offensive lineman Dillon Radunz is set for another visit with a potential employer for the 2025 season.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that Radunz is set to visit with the Saints. He visited with the Seahawks earlier this week.
Radunz saw time at both tackle and guard over four seasons with the Titans, but was primarily on the interior of Tennessee’s offensive line. He started 15 games during the 2024 season and 16 of the other 37 games he played with the team.
The Saints signed Will Clapp and re-signed Landon Young this week, so they’re moving in several directions on the offensive line as the offseason unfolds.
The Patriots announced the signing of linebacker Jack Gibbens on Wednesday.
Gibbens signed with the Titans after going undrafted in 2022 and he spent the last three years in Tennessee. He appeared in 29 games and made 20 starts during his time with the Titans.
Gibbens had 167 tackles, five tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, an interception, and four passes defensed in those appearances. The Patriots did not announce any terms of his deal.
The Patriots have also signed Robert Spillane this month and the pair of additions may signal their plans for restricted free agent linebacker Christian Elliss. The Raiders signed Elliss to an offer sheet on Wednesday and the Patriots have until Monday to decide whether or not to match it. They won’t get any compensation if they decline to match, but the two new faces in the linebacker room may be enough to make them pass on bringing Elliss back.
Running back Julius Chestnut has agreed to a new contract with the Titans.
The team announced Chestnut’s return on Wednesday. They did not announce any of the terms of his new deal.
Chestnut initially signed with the Titans after going undrafted out of Sacred Heart in 2022. He played in nine games over his first two seasons and appeared in every game last year.
Chestnut ran 31 times for 114 yards and caught five passes for 52 yards in those appearances. He also averaged 24 yards on 23 kickoff returns and was credited with three tackles on special teams.
Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, and Jabari Small are the other running backs on the roster in Tennessee.
Wide receiver Rondale Moore’s search for his next NFL team has him in Nashville on Wednesday.
Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports that Moore is visiting the Titans. Moore has also met with the Bears, Vikings, and Jets in recent days.
Moore was traded from the Cardinals to the Falcons for quarterback Desmond Ridder last year, but a knee injury kept him out for the entire season. The 2021 second-round pick had 135 catches for 1,201 yards and three touchdowns while running 52 times for 249 yards and a touchdown while in Arizona.
Calvin Ridley, Van Jefferson, and Treylon Burks are the most experienced receivers on the Titans roster at the moment.
The Seahawks are looking at some help for their offensive line.
Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Media, Dillon Radunz is taking a free-agent visit with Seattle on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Radunz, 26, just completed his rookie contract with the Titans. A second-round pick in 2021, Radunz appeared in 54 games with 31 starts for Tennessee over the last four seasons. He started 11 games in 2023 and 15 contests in 2024.
If the Seahawks sign Radunz, he’d reunite with run game coordinator/offensive line coach Justin Outten. Outten served as Tennessee’s running backs coach and run game coordinator in 2023 and the Titans’ tight ends coach in 2024.
