Titans' Marcus Mariota consoles teammate Ryan Tannehill after AFC final defeat to Chiefs

Tennessee Titans' run in the NFL playoffs came to an end after a heartbreaking loss to Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship (American Football Conference) final. Despite making it to the playoffs as the sixth-seeded side, Titans defied expectations by beating the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens en route to the finals. A clip from Titans' loss to the Chiefs is making the rounds of the internet. Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota is seen consoling his devastated teammate Ryan Tannehill. 

Watch: Marcus Mariota consoles Ryan Tannehill after Chiefs' defeat

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Marcus Mariota, 26, was dropped to the bench in favour of Ryan Tannehill in Week 6 before permanently dropping to the bench Week 7 onwards. Back in December 2019, Titans head coach Mike Vrabel explained that Mariota showed great leadership in dealing with his benching. While Mariota must have been disappointed to lose his starting role, he was happy for Tannehill. 

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As the AFC Championship game between Titans and Chiefs came to a close on Sunday night (Monday IST), it became clear that the Titans would fall just one game short of the Super Bowl. Ryan Tannehill was unsurprisingly disappointed after the loss. However, Marcus Mariota made sure that he was right beside his teammate to cheer him up. The footage from the post-game shows Mariota encouraging Tannehill. The 26-year-old was heard saying, "Hey, you’re going to be playing in a lot of these, all right." 

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Marcus Mariota will enter free agency in the offseason. After being drafted by the Titans in 2015, Mariota played as a starting quarterback for the last few seasons before dropping to the bench this season. It is widely expected that Mariota will move on from the Titans in search of a starting role in a different side.

While players consoling their teammates after a loss is a common sight, Marcus Mariota encouraging Tannehill has taken over the internet.

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