Ryan Tannehill: 6 years, $96 million with $45 Million Guaranteed

Ryan Tannehill, a slightly above-average QB in the NFL who made significant strides in his third year with the Dolphins, just got Paid, which says more about the dearth of QBs in the NFL than it does Tannehill.

You may want to sit down for this one: Ryan Tannehill just got $45 million guaranteed from the Dolphins. (The word “guaranteed” is tricky – after putting pen to paper, it’s “only” $23.5 guaranteed … for now.)

Here’s a list of recent QB extensions, highlighted by the guaranteed money, which is what matters most:

* Colin Kaepernick got $61 million guaranteed (explained fully here) in the summer of 2014
* Jay Cutler got $54 million guaranteed in January 2014
* Matt Stafford got $41.5 million guaranteed in the summer of 2013
* Andy Dalton got $25 million guaranteed in August 2014

If you’re one of those guys who values playoff trips – QB wins! What a stat! – then the big money for Tannehill is a surprise. Few would say he’s better right now than Stafford was when he got his extension. But as a future play, this deal isn’t horrible for the Dolphins from this point of view: There’s simply nobody else out there.

After three years in the league, Tannehill isn’t a Top 15 QB in the NFL, and there’s no guarantee he makes that leap next season. But what are the alternative options if you don’t extend him?

You could be the Jets and have a QB competition between Geno Smith and Ryan Fitzpatrick.

You could be the Bills and have a QB competition between – my goodness – EJ Manuel, Matt Cassel and Tyrod Taylor.

If you have something resembling a QB in the NFL right now – and the stats have not been kind to Tannehill in recent years – you lock him up and don’t risk losing him.

As for the future salary cap situation … Miami is clearly in win-now mode.