What Ryan Tannehill said about ankle injury after Tennessee Titans' loss: 'Freaking sucks'
LONDON — Leaning on a pair of crutches, his face showing a sense of resignation yet again, Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill addressed the right ankle injury that knocked him out of Sunday's 24-16 loss against the Baltimore Ravens.
"I just tried to gut it out and I couldn't put any force into the throws," Tannehill said from the locker room after the game. "I knew I wasn't going to be able to move. I tried to just keep walking it off but it kept getting worse and worse. I wasn't going to be able to make the throws."
Tannehill got X-rays on his right ankle at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during the game but said he won't conclusively know what he's dealing with or what his plan needs to be until he gets back to the United States and has an MRI.
This isn't a new phenomenon for Tannehill. He dealt with right ankle injuries through more than half of the 2022 season and eventually required season-ending surgery after aggravating the injury in December.
He went so far as calling this injury "similar" to the one that plagued him last season and admitted there's a sense of frustration in dealing with the déjà vu.
"It freaking sucks," he said. "It’s part of the game where I can get injured. But it’s not an enjoyable process, especially when it’s got some significance to it."
Tannehill played three drives on his injured ankle before coming out of the game. Titans coach Mike Vrabel said he was talking to the defense when Tannehill and director of sports medicine Todd Toriscelli made the decision to end Tannehill's day.
The quarterback said he was limited to only being able to begin plays from shotgun formations, and found out the hard way that he couldn't step into throws after he underthrew his final pass, targeted at tight end Chig Okonkwo. It ended up getting intercepted, on a drive late in the third quarter that could have been a chance for the Titans to take the lead.
"Chig was open. I just had no push into it and left it short," Tannehill said. "At that point I just figured I'm going to be a sitting duck back there and if I can't even put a step into a throw, then I'm not going to be effective."
Second-year passer Malik Willis came in, completing 4 of 5 passes for 74 yards and rushing three times for 17 yards in a quarter and a half. Tannehill, by comparison, was 8-for-16 with 76 yards and the interception.
Beyond Willis, the Titans' other option at quarterback is rookie Will Levis. Levis has not been on the active roster through six games, but has been the team's emergency third quarterback.
Tannehill said there isn't much he can plan ahead or treat his ankle until he gets home and gets the MRI results back. He has a long flight, and other than icing the ankle, he can't do much for now.
The Titans have an open week, giving him a little extra time to try to work his way back. His next opportunity to test the ankle in live game action is Oct. 29 against the Atlanta Falcons in Nashville.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nickusss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Ryan Tannehill injury update: What Tennessee Titans QB said about ankle
