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Seahawks DE Calls out Ryan Tannehill for Being ‘Mediocre’ and ‘Overpaid’

Michael Bennett and Richard Sherman

When it comes to quarterbacks in today’s NFL, Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett is very vocal about the inflated market for the position and how some of them complain too much about being hit.

“There’s some mediocre quarterbacks in the NFL that make a lot of money,” said Bennett during “The Brock and Salk Show” on Tuesday afternoon. “You take a guy like Sam Bradford — he’s never played really in the last three years, but he’s made more money than most guys in the NFL.”

Bennett also voiced his displeasure by calling out Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill for being overpaid based on production.

“Aaron Rodgers is probably the best quarterback in the NFL,” Bennett said. “But quarterback is the only position in the NFL where you can be mediocre and get paid. At every other position you can’t be mediocre. If I was like Ryan Tannehill, and say the most games I ever won was seven, how could you get $100 million for that?”

This reference was made by Bennett regarding the hefty six-year, $95 million contract extension Tannehill signed back in May with the Dolphins. Entering his fourth season in the NFL, Tannehill has a 23-25 record as a starter and has not made the playoffs yet.

However, Tannehill’s stats have improved every year as Miami’s starting quarterback, including a very impressive 2014-15 campaign in which he passed for 4,045 yards, 27 touchdowns, only 12 interceptions and a stout 92.8 quarterback rating. Also, Tannehill possesses great mobility as a quarterback, as he rushed for 311 yards and one touchdown on 56 carries (5.6 yards per carry) last season.

Given those increasing numbers and the most talented and complete team the Dolphins have put together in years, it’s quite a stretch to call Tannehill “mediocre” by any means.

One might say that he is a bit overpaid at the moment, but Tannehill looks ready to show he’s worth every penny as he tries to lead this team back to the playoffs for the first time since 2008.