Ryan Tannehill - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Ryan Tannehill’s Injury

December 18th, 2016 at 8:50am CST by Rory Parks

The Dolphins blew the Jets out of the water last night behind a terrific performance from backup quarterback Matt Moore, but the aftermath of the win brought with it some potentially bad news about No. 1 signal-caller Ryan Tannehill.

Tannehill, of course, was pulled from last week’s game against the Cardinals with what was initially feared to be a full ACL tear, but which was later reported to be an ACL/MCL sprain (a partial, but incomplete tear of those ligaments). After last night’s game, however, Adam H. Beasley and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald passed along a report from the NBC/NFL Network broadcast team that Tannehill in fact tore the MCL off his knee completely, a report ostensibly substantiated by the fact that he spent the night in a full leg cast and walked with a noticeable limp and the assistance of a crutch.

Tannehill, though, lent some clarity to the situation, observing that his ligaments are not fully torn and that he has a Grade 2 sprain rather than a Grade 3 (link via Salguero). Said Tannehill, “It’s not a Grade 3. A Grade 3 sprain is completely torn. A sprain could be a torn anything. It’s not completely torn all the way off but definitely there’s damage. It’s categorized as a Grade 2 so there’s still some integrity there.”

That is consistent with this week’s earlier reports, and it explains why Tannehill is hopeful that rehabilitation and muscle strengthening will return enough stability to the knee to rule out the need for surgery. Salguero does note, however, that reconstructive surgery remains a distinct possibility, which Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirms (Twitter links). Rapoport adds that, despite Miami’s optimism, Tannhill is “very uncertain” to return to action this season.

With last night’s win, the Dolphins assured themselves of a winning season and, more importantly, maintained control of their own playoff destiny. While a division title is a remote possibility, Miami can grab a wild card spot by winning their final two games against the Bills and Patriots.

AFC Notes: Tannehill, Pitta, Green, Chargers

December 12th, 2016 at 9:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ryan Tannehill will get a second opinion on his knee Tuesday after learning earlier today he didn’t tear an ACL but rather sprained his ACL and MCL. The plan for now is for the Dolphins to trot out backup Matt Moore in the next two games in which Tannehill will definitely not play, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports, and give the franchise passer a chance to stabilize the knee before contemplating a potential Week 17 return against the Patriots.

Salguero notes if the Week 17 game against the Patriots is meaningful for the Dolphins’ playoff hopes and Tannehill wouldn’t risk long-term knee damage, Adam Gase will hound his training staff with questions and consider starting him in a game that could well have home-field advantage on the line for the Pats. However, Salguero notes Tannehill’s ACL is partially torn since it’s been categorized as a sprain, and there will likely be a risk of a full tear if he returns in three weeks.

Additionally, if Tannehill cannot recover in time for the New Year’s Day tilt, the Dolphins will keep him on the roster in 2017 to guarantee $14.5MM of his salary next season. The team will reinstall the former first-round pick as its starting quarterback next season, Salguero writes, with the Jay Cutler talk no longer being a possibility despite Tannehill’s cap number escalating from $11.6MM to $20.3MM.

Here’s more from the AFC.

It’s time for the Bills to bench Tyrod Taylor and install Cardale Jones as the starter, ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak opines. The Bills, of course, have to decide on Taylor this offseason and it would behoove them to know what they have in their young backup. “He’s working hard,” offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn said recently of Jones. “He’s a gunslinger, strong arm. You watch him in scout team, we evaluate his reps in scout team. He’s putting the ball in the right places. He’s accurate. I think his development is coming along fine.” Recently, GM Doug Whaley insisted that he won’t be turning things over to Jones, but things could be different after yesterday’s loss to Pittsburgh. The Bills are now 6-7 with slim odds of reaching the postseason.
Matt Forte is day-to-day after hyper-extending his right knee, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports. Although the Jets starter heard “cracking and popping” before the knee swelled, Forte was confident there was no ligament damage. Bilal Powell totaled 179 yards from scrimmage and two TDs in relief. Forte has played in all 13 Jets games this season; he’s only missed three contests in a single campaign twice and never more than four.
Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta will max out his incentives for 2016, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. Under the terms of his reworked contract, Pitta’s salary was cut from $5MM to $1MM, but the Ravens added $3MM in incentives to help bridge the gap. The 31-year-old needed to catch 60 passes for a $1MM receptions incentive and he’s already topped that with 61. He also has to appear in 50% of the team’s snaps for the other $2MM and he’s in line to do that as well.
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis says wide receiver A.J. Green expects to return to practice on Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). With Cincinnati sitting at 5-7-1, a Green return would be more important to fantasy players than the Bengals’ 2016 season at this point. Green has missed the past three games with a severe hamstring injury. He sits 36 yards away from a sixth straight 1,000-yard slate.
Continuing on the injury front, Melvin Gordon has both a hip strain and a left knee sprain, Eric Williams of ESPN.com notes. Gordon underwent microfracture surgery on the same knee this offseason. The Chargers fell to 5-8 after losing to the Panthers on Sunday, and although Gordon wants to finish the season, his injury history may point to the Bolts exercising caution here. Gordon didn’t finish the 2015 season due to injury and then had surgery. If Gordon’s season ends after 13 games, he’ll finish three rushing yards shy of 1,000 in a bounce-back year. Mike McCoy said that number will have no bearing on whether the second-year back returns in 2016.
The NFL has suspended Chargers defensive end Tenny Palepoi for four games for violating the league policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Zach Links contributed to this report

Ryan Tannehill Has ACL/MCL Sprain, Not Tear

December 12th, 2016 at 11:50am CST by Zachary Links

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill received some good news today. He has only sprained his ACL and MCL and does not have a tear of the ligaments, coach Adam Gase announced today. There is still no timetable for return and the injury could still keep him out for the remainder of the regular season.

Tannehill went down during the third quarter of Sunday’s 26-23 win over the Cardinals. The Dolphins feared the worst, but Tannehill has now gotten the best diagnosis possible. Tannehill may or may not be able to return this season, but this injury should be all healed up before the start of next season. An ACL and MCL tear would have put his status for 2017 in jeopardy.

The Dolphins are now 8-5 and are knocking on the door for a Wild Card spot. If the playoffs started today, those spots would be occupied by the Raiders (10-3) and Broncos (also 8-5). According to Five Thirty Eight, Miami has a 30% chance of making the playoffs but just a 2% chance of catching the 10-2 Patriots for the divisional crown.

It stands to reason that Tannehill will miss at least one game. For however long he is out, Matt Moore will handle quarterback duties.

Dolphins Fear QB Ryan Tannehill Has Torn ACL

December 11th, 2016 at 3:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Dolphins pulled out a last-second win over the Cardinals today, but despite that victory, Miami’s playoff hopes have still taken a massive hit. Dolphins head coach Adam Gase told reporters that the club fears quarterback Ryan Tannehill has suffered a torn ACL, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link).

Heading into today’s game, the Dolphins had something close to a one-in-five chance of earning a postseason berth — Football Outsiders gave Miami a 31.9% chance, while FiveThirtyEight put the Dolphins’ odds at just 23%. Clearly, those figures will increase after Miami’s win today (plus losses from other AFC contenders such as Denver and Indianapolis), but the club will now likely have to fight its way to into the tournament with its backup quarterback, Matt Moore.

Moore, 32, is one of the more experienced No. 2 signal-callers in the NFL, as he has 25 career starts under his belt. However, the last of those starts came during the 2011 campaign, so it’s fair to wonder what Moore has left in the tank. That 2011 season was a high-water mark for Moore, as he threw 16 touchdowns and led Miami to a 6-6 record in 12 starts. In his small sample against Arizona today, Moore completed three of five passes for 40 yards.

With Moore under center, the Dolphins figure to lean even more heavily on their running game, which ranks third in the league in DVOA and features Jay Ajayi, who is now closing in on 1,000 yards on the ground. Additionally, Miami’s passing attack isn’t short on weapons, as Moore will be throwing to Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker, Kenny Stills, and emergent tight end Dion Sims.

For Tannehill, the injury obviously marks a disappointing end to what can only be described as a middling season. So far in 2016, the 28-year-old Tannehill has posted numbers right in line with his career marks — through 12 starts, he’d completed 66.7% of his passes for 2,800 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while ranking 25th in DYAR and 27th in DVOA.

Under the terms of a four-year extension signed in the summer of 2015, Tannehill is under contract with the Dolphins through the 2020 season. He’s guaranteed $3.5MM of his $17.975MM base salary in 2017. Miami wouldn’t be able to part ways with Tannehill while he’s injured, and it likely wouldn’t consider that route given the financial ramifications and the fact that the club showed progress under Gase this season.

East Notes: Eagles, Romo, Tannehill

October 16th, 2016 at 10:11am CST by Rory Parks

Despite the old NFL adage that says, “if you want to win a Super Bowl, make sure you don’t have a great wide receiver,” Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer believes the Eagles need to address their wide receiver position, currently the weakest area of their roster, if they want to become true contenders. Although it is unlikely the club could acquire a top-flight wideout via trade this year, there may be a few quality free agent options this offseason, such as Alshon Jeffery or old friend DeSean Jackson. Plus, Philadelphia could invest a fair amount of money at the position while Carson Wentz is still playing under his rookie deal.

As McLane notes, Nelson Agholor, Dorial Green-Beckham, and Josh Huff have shown little to suggest they can develop into premier receivers, which leaves Jordan Matthews–who is better suited to the slot–as Wentz’s only truly reliable wideout. With Wentz looking like the real deal, the Eagles could be legitimate threats this year, but they could cement their contender status moving forward if they can give their young signal-caller another weapon or two.

Now let’s take a look at a few more notes from the league’s east divisions:

Todd Archer of ESPN.com says Tony Romo‘s most likely return date is November 6 against Cleveland, not October 30 against Philadelphia. And, despite the Cowboys‘ insistence that Romo will regain the starting role when he is healthy, Archer says the team could be “singing a different tune” if Dak Prescott is still winning. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Prescott has more support in the Cowboys’ locker room to keep the status quo than Romo has to change it.
Martellus Bennett is thriving in his first year with the Patriots, but despite that, and despite the fact that he is set to hit the open market at season’s end, the 29-year-old tight end insists he is not thinking about his next contract, as Phil Perry of CSNNewEngland.com writes. Bennett said, “For me, I haven’t even thought about [next year]. It’s not something I want to think about, really. I just want to enjoy each game with my teammates and my friends on this team and go out there and ball.”
The Dolphins continue to insist that, although Ryan Tannehill shares a fair amount of the blame for the team’s woeful start to the 2016 season, their quarterback problem is not strictly a Tannehill problem. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes that, upon reviewing game film, Miami’s coaching staff sees offensive linemen and receivers alike simply missing assignments and demonstrating poor technique, and if the team can remedy those issues, the staff believes Tannehill can realize his potential. In fact, Salguero writes, “speaking to people within the organization, there’s a concern that if this team gives up on Tannehill now, he would go elsewhere and in the years to come would be a good quarterback. Some other team’s good quarterback.”
Despite being fourth on the only four-man quarterback depth chart in the NFL, Jets rookie signal-caller Christian Hackenberg is not discouraged. He is trying to maximize his scout team reps, is taking copious notes, and is otherwise remaining upbeat as he waits for his moment. Hackenberg said, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat. I’m happy for the [other rookie quarterbacks] playing well. I know a lot of them. That’s cool, but there are a lot of ways to get it” (link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com).

Major Roster Changes Looming For Dolphins?

October 14th, 2016 at 7:03pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

At 1-4 with a minus-31 point differential, the Dolphins have been among the NFL’s worst teams this season. There are clearly weaknesses throughout the Dolphins’ roster, and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes that the team has plenty of players it no longer wants. As a result, executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum, general manager Chris Grier and head coach Adam Gase are likely to oversee a significant makeover during the offseason.

The Dolphins already began moving on from players who aren’t part of the solution earlier this week, cutting offensive linemen Dallas Thomas and Billy Turner on Tuesday. Turner is now with the Ravens, who claimed him on waivers, but Salguero reports that the Dolphins couldn’t find any takers when they shopped him and Thomas.

With Turner and Thomas gone, there are a slew of other Dolphins with iffy futures, according to Salguero. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill and offensive lineman Branden Albert are among those with nebulous statuses beyond this year, though Salguero doesn’t expect Miami to move on from either. Running back Arian Foster, tight end Jordan Cameron and tackle Jermon Bushrod are all impending free agents who are doubtful to return in 2017 (Cameron could retire). Receiver Kenny Stills‘ deal also expires at season’s end, and Salguero notes that he has a fan in Gase, but the Dolphins haven’t been willing to commit a multiyear deal to him yet. Unless that changes prior to free agency, Stills could head elsewhere for a raise.

Defensively, ends Mario Williams, Jason Jones and Andre Branch, linebackers Jelani Jenkins and Koa Misi, and cornerback Byron Maxwell might be in new uniforms next year. Williams and Maxwell, two high-profile offseason additions, look as though they’ll be one and done in Miami, per Salguero. The two have underwhelmed with the Dolphins, who would save $14MM (compared to $5MM in dead money) by releasing them prior to next season. The only other member of the group who’s signed past 2016 is Misi. However, Misi’s career could be in jeopardy, and releasing him would free up $4.2MM in spending room at the cost of just $578K in dead money next season – the final year of Misi’s contract.

Given that the Dolphins’ season isn’t even halfway over, at least some of these individuals could play their way out of the doghouse over the next 11 games. The Dolphins are currently on track for a sizable house cleaning, though, and with the 4-1 Steelers and 3-2 Bills next on their schedule, they could enter their Week 8 bye at 1-6.

Breer’s Latest: Kaep, Tannehill, Ravens, Bills

October 13th, 2016 at 8:31pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick is set to return to the 49ers’ starting lineup this week, but his NFL future was in doubt as recently as last year. At least two teams that looked into Kaepernick as a potential trade acquisition had questions about whether he wanted to continue playing, reports Albert Breer of TheMMQB. Kaepernick ended up staying in San Francisco, of course, and will now take over head coach Chip Kelly‘s offense. If Kaepernick fails under Kelly, the league might not regard the 28-year-old as a viable option anymore, writes Breer, who notes that his career hangs in the balance. “This offense gives him the best chance, no doubt,” one 49ers source said of the mobile Kaepernick, who could become a free agent at season’s end.

AFC Notes: Tannehill, Pryor, Siemian

October 9th, 2016 at 11:12am CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some notes from the AFC as we wait for the early slate of Sunday’s games to get underway:

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald believes Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill is now entering the most important stretch of his career. He’s a fifth-year signal-caller playing under an offensive savant in head coach Adam Gase and facing an unprecedented 44-day homestand that features four eminently winnable games. If he cannot excel over the next month, it is difficult to believe that he will ever excel.
We learned last week that the Patriots tried to trade for Terrelle Pryor prior to the 2015 season, but it does not appear that anyone other than the Browns will get to reap the rewards of Pryor’s success anytime soon. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Pryor is one of the only players that Cleveland will not consider trading as it continues to build for the future. Pryor is apparently pretty comfortable with the Browns, too, as he recently expressed his desire for a contract extension.
Paxton Lynch may be starting for the Broncos this week, but James Palmer of the NFL Network confirms (via Twitter) what head coach Gary Kubiak has been saying all week: that Trevor Siemian‘s job is secure. Denver’s coaching staff understandably loves Siemian and hopes to have him ready for Thursday night’s tilt with San Diego.
We heard reports earlier today that Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick would be playing for his job this afternoon against Pittsburgh and that the team was prepared to hand the starting job to Geno Smith if Fitzpatrick struggles. According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, however, head coach Todd Bowles is ignoring the calls for Fitz to be benched, though he realizes that the Harvard product must improve soon. Bowles said, “[Fitzpatrick] can’t put the game on his shoulders and try to be Superman. If it’s not there, it’s not there. Whether we take the sack or we throw it out of bounds or we punt and move on, ball security is what wins in this league. The big difference between last year’s first quarter and this year’s first quarter is that we got a ton of turnovers (in 2015). And this year, we gave up a bunch of turnovers.”

AFC East Notes: Richardson, Giacomini, Dolphins

July 1st, 2016 at 11:32am CST by Ben Levine

Yesterday, Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson was suspended one game for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. After having previously been arrested for driving 143 mph, the 25-year-old was actually grateful that he didn’t earn a longer suspension.

“So the league has sent down there decision,” Richardson wrote on Instagram, “I have to live with it I’m grateful it could have been more but this is overspill from a silly offseason on my part but I’ve grown from it been pass it….I’m still smiling like its draft day.”

Fortunately, as RosterResource.com shows, the Jets should have enough depth on the defensive line to make up for Richardson’s one-game absence. Of course, there’s still lingering concern over the status of fellow d-lineman Muhammad Wilkerson.

While we await some clarity on that situation, let’s check out some more notes from the AFC East…

This upcoming season could be right tackle Breno Giacomini‘s final year with the Jets, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. The lineman didn’t have a strong 2015 campaign, and the writer sees little reason why the 30-year-old will improve in 2016. The organization could save $4.5MM against the cap by cutting Giacomini following the season.
The Dolphins added plenty of reinforcement to the offensive line this past offseason. The team selected Laremy Tunsil in the first round, and they also added free agents Jermon Bushrod, Kraig Urbik and Sam Young. With this newfound depth, Mike Pouncey is expecting a bounceback season from the unit. “Obviously, we feel like we got a lot of talent on [the] offensive line,” Pouncey told ESPN.com’s James Walker. “We feel comfortable about the guys that we got in our room. This will be one of the first years in a long time we’ll have depth going into the season. As long as everyone stays healthy, we look forward to having a good year.”
Speaking of Tunsil, ESPN.com’s AFC East reporters explain how the first-round pick could ultimately help Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

Watt, Bryant, Others Get Salary Guarantees

March 13th, 2016 at 6:20pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Several NFL players have contracts containing language which states that they’ll get a full or partial salary guarantees for 2016 and/or 2017 if they remained on their respective teams on Sunday, the fifth day of the league year. Let’s check in on those players (link courtesy of CBS Sports’ Joel Corry):

Ryan Tannehill, quarterback (Dolphins): $3.5MM of $17.975MM base salary for 2017 is guaranteed.
Dez Bryant, wide receiver (Cowboys): $13MM base salary for 2017 is guaranteed.
T.Y. Hilton, wide receiver (Colts): $3MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed. $6MM roster bonus now payable.
Anthony Castonzo, offensive tackle (Colts): $2.5MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed. $4.5MM roster bonus now payable.
Tyron Smith, offensive tackle (Cowboys): $10MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed.
Branden Albert, offensive tackle (Dolphins): $6MM of $8.245MM base salary for 2017 is guaranteed.
Mike Pouncey, center (Dolphins): $9MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed, as is $2MM of Pouncey’s $7.95MM base salary in 2017.
Maurkice Pouncey, center (Steelers): $3.5MM roster bonus now payable.
Cameron Heyward, defensive end (Steelers): $5MM roster bonus now payable.
J.J. Watt, defensive end (Texans): $10.5MM base salaries for 2016 and 2017 are guaranteed.
Robert Quinn, defensive end (Rams): $7,777,777MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed.
Lavonte David, linebacker (Buccaneers): $5MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed.
Chris Harris Jr., cornerback (Broncos): $6.9MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.