Site icon Side Action

Ryan Tannehill Went to Therapy, Was in ‘a Dark Place’ Following Playoff Loss

Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) takes the field before the first half of an NFL divisional round playoff football game between the Tennessee Titans and the Cincinnati Bengals, Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Ryan Tannehill has been in the news a lot this week.

The Titans 19-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs stung. Having thrown three interceptions in that game, Ryan Tannehill might have felt it the most.

“It’s a deep scar,” Tannehill said of the loss. “Every time I closed my eyes I kind of rewatched the game. I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep for weeks. I was in a dark place, and it took me a while, a lot of work to get out of it.

“I’ve worked through it, but therapy, talking to people, time helped. It took a lot of work to get through it.”

This was the first time Tannehill sought out therapy.

“This is the first time that I absolutely needed it [therapy] to pull me out of a dark space,” Tannehill said.

Tannehill said that the loss is a scar he’ll carry with him for the rest of his life but that it can serve as fuel for him to work hard to get ready for the 2022 season with a “desire to win like he never had before.”

Earlier in the week Tannehill made headlines for his stance on mentoring Malik Willis.

“I don’t think it’s my job to mentor him,” Tannehill said. “But if he learns from me along the way, that’s a great thing.”

On one hand it’s good to see how much Tannehill cares, but it’s also a bit troubling how he reacted after that tough loss. Couple that with his feelings about the Titans drafting his eventual replacement, and you might have a recipe for disaster this season.


Welcome to the game outside the game! Follow us on our Sideaction Twitter handleInstagram, and Facebook for the latest on sports and pop culture news across the web!