The Tennessee Titans almost suffered a devastating blow to their championship hopes Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill was carted off the field after an apparent ankle injury suffered while taking a sack during a 3rd-and-13 play early in the first quarter.
Ryan Tannehill was carted off after taking this hit pic.twitter.com/KwA5mplOBJ
— alex (@highlghtheaven) December 18, 2022
Tannehill was carted off after being in noticeable pain after absorbing the sack.
The still image doesn’t look any better, either:
Freeze frame of Ryan Tannehill's ankle injury. #Titans pic.twitter.com/qVVpnrbSkw
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) December 18, 2022
“Freeze frame of Ryan Tannehill’s ankle injury,” tweeted Paul Kuharsky. The attached image shows Tannehill’s right ankle buckling under Khalil Mack of the Chargers.
The injury, however, did not deter him from watching the rest of the game from the sidelines:
Ryan Tannehill was checking in on the game while being looked at in the medical tent.
Big time football guy pic.twitter.com/wc6ZkArrDp
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) December 18, 2022
“Ryan Tannehill was checking in on the game while being looked at in the medical tent. Big time football guy,” CBS Sports tweeted.
While many speculated the injury could be season-ending, Tannehill shocked the NFL world by returning to action:
#Titans Ryan Tannehill back on the field, he's going to ruin that ankle
— Kayla Anderson (@KaylaAndersonTV) December 18, 2022
“Ryan Tannehill is back on the field,” Kayla Anderson tweeted. “He’s going to ruin that ankle.”
Tannehill’s toughness spurred the Titans into action on the ensuing offensive series. The Titans only needed six plays to go 63 yards to tie the game:
A DIRECT SNAP AND IT WORKED!!!!
Ryan Tannehill energized the team on that drive. Derrick Henry did all the heavy lifting.
— Jared Stillman (@JaredStillman) December 18, 2022
“A direct snap and it worked!!!” Jared Stillman wrote. “Ryan Tennehill energized the team on that drive. Derrick Henry did all the heavy lifting.”
The game remain deadlocked at 7-7 at the start of the second quarter.