Titans QB Tannehill still haunted by a playoff loss
Sleepless nights. Rewinding the loss in his mind over and over again. Therapy sessions as well.
And weeks and weeks of time. Ryan Tannehill has lost big games before. Losing as the AFC's No. 1 seed with the Titans quarterback throwing three interceptions — the last with 20 seconds left — left him with a “deep scar.”
“I was in a dark place, and it took me a while and a lot of work to get out of it,” Tannehill said Tuesday, talking with reporters for the first time since the Titans' 19-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 22.
Tannehill said he's used therapy for a while in his career.
“This is the first time that ... I absolutely needed it to pull me out of a dark space,” Tannehill said.
Tennessee fans have made Tannehill the scapegoat for the loss, angry at missing the franchise's first Super Bowl in 22 years. It didn't help that Cincinnati wound up the AFC champ after beating Tennessee on a last-second field goal set up by Tannehill's third interception.
Now Tannehill goes into this season with the highest salary cap number in the NFL after reworking his contract last summer to free up space for seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones, whom the Titans released in March.
The Titans also traded up in the third round to draft quarterback Malik Willis of Liberty, the highest quarterback this franchise has drafted since taking Marcus Mariota at No. 2 overall in 2015.
After months of preparation and work to put himself and the Titans in that position, Tannehill knows it wasn't his best game.
“To go out and play beneath the standard that I have for myself it stung, it hurt,” Tannehill said. “And like I said, a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of reflecting, re-watching the game over and over in my head. But yeah, took a lot of work to get through it.”
He compared all that pain to a cut that finally has healed into a scar.
“It's always there in your mind, and now it's fuel for me,” Tannehill said. “It's fuel for me to work and get ready with a passion and come into this season with a fire and a desire to win.”
NFL ANNOUNCES NEW OFFICIALS >> The NFL has hired 10 new on-field officials, including the first Asian American to officiate in the league and a former player.
Lo van Pham joins the NFL from the Big 12 Conference. He was born in Vietnam and after a stop in the Philippines, moved to the United States when he was seven.
Mike Morton becomes the third former NFL player on the 2022 roster of officials, joining Nate Jones and Terry Killens. Morton was drafted in the fourth round in 1995 by the Raiders, an was a linebacker for them from 1995-98.
Robin DeLorenzo becomes the third woman on the NFL's roster of on-field game officials joining Sarah Thomas and Maia Chaka. She joins the NFL from the Big Ten Conference.
KAZEE SIGNS WITH STEELERS >> The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed safety Damontae Kazee to a one-year contract.
The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Kazee spent the 2021 season in Dallas, making 52 tackles and finishing with two interceptions in 17 games, with 15 starts.
ADDISON ENTERS TRANSFER PORTAL >> Pittsburgh wide receiver and 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison is in the NCAA transfer portal.
The rising junior can be recruited by other schools, but the move does not preclude him from staying at Pitt.
The decision comes amid reports that Addison, who caught a singleseason school record 100 passes for 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns last fall, is considering USC.
Tennis
DJOKOVIC WINS IN MADRID >> Novak Djokovic feels like the hard work is starting to pay off.
Trying to regain his best form after a slow start to the season, Djokovic looked sharp in his opening match at the Madrid Open on Tuesday, defeating Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the third round.
“I would probably rate it as the best performance of the year. I felt very good on the court,” the topranked Djokovic said after saving all five break points he faced and converting the three he had against the 21st-ranked Frenchman.
It was the Serb's 18th straight win over Monfils.
ANDERSON RETIRES >> Two-time Grand Slam finalist Kevin Anderson announced his retirement from professional tennis on Tuesday at age 35.
The 6-foot-8 (2.03-meter) South African was the runner-up to Rafael Nadal at the U.S. Open in 2017 — No. 32 at the time, Anderson was the lowest-ranked finalist in tournament history.
Anderson won seven ATP Tour singles titles, most recently at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, Rhode Island, last July.