No brace, Ryan Tannehill returns to field for Dolphins

The wait is over for one Miami Dolphins player. Ryan Tannehill took the field today for the first time since training camp 2017.

Earlier today the Miami Dolphins opened their first post-draft OTA and released a short video on Twitter of Tannehill leaving the building for the field.

Noticeably absent from the field? Ryan Tannehill’s knee brace. Is that a significant development in his rehabilitation or a statement from the Dolphins? It could be a bit of both.

Tannehill’s return is the significant part of this three-day OTA session. Running and more importantly pivoting and cutting will be a focus. Tannehill hasn’t been on the field since tearing his ACL further during a practice session on the same field last year.

The lack of the knee brace would be surprising if permanently gone. The brace would help stabilize the leg and knee-joint. The Dolphins could have asked Tannehill to run onto the field without the brace as a symbolic statement of how far he has come since injuring his leg.

This past off-season has been full of media and fan speculation on Tannehill’s future but the Dolphins have been up front with Tannehill. Making him a large part of the 2018 marketing strategy.

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These OTA’s are important despite what some believe. For the first time since the end of last season the coaching staff can run players through football drills and start teaching the playbook. The previous sessions have been relegated to strength and conditioning work.

While no contact can occur during these OTA practices the team can run offense against defense portions. Miami has a lot of new faces so getting them on the same page as quickly as possible is important. Taking advantage of the time allowed by the league for these sessions is important as well.

Ryan Tannehill took the first step, literally, to returning to the starting lineup when he trotted onto the practice field.  While no hiccups remained, his knee and his mental recovery will remain the focal point this off-season and into the season itself.