Ryan Tannehill’s future in Miami a question but premature

The saga of Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill continues for a fifth week as he will miss another game. Has he played his last?

Earlier today we talked about why the Miami Dolphins should not put Ryan Tannehill on IR. You can read that by going here. While that point is still valid there is no question that the end of Ryan Tannehill in Miami should be discussed or theorized even though that kind of talk is really premature.

Tannehill has missed a lot of games the last three seasons. He missed the final four games in 2016, all of last season as well coming back from a knee injury and now he is dealing with the shoulder injury that has kept him off the field and unable to throw passes in practice.

The injury should force the Dolphins to explore the future without Tannehill. In next years draft the pool of quarterbacks is reported to be thin and the Dolphins would need to be in a good position to move up and draft one. The class of 2020 is said to be much better.

Finding a quarterback has been problematic for the Dolphins since Dan Marino retired and it’s well documented but the Dolphins need to try. Tannehill is no longer the iron-man he once was and frankly his play is still just a little above average.

This injury has been reported as a capsule injury but there is speculation by some that there could also be a tear in the labrum. If that is the case, surgery will happen and Tannehill could be out not only this season but into next season as well. At some point Miami has to find a replacement.

Next season is not a good year for the Dolphins financially as it relates to Tannehill. If released Tannehill would cost the team just over $13 million in dead cap space and save $13 million. That drops to around $7.8 million dead space if designated a June 1st release. This according to Overthecap.com.

Tannehill not being on the Dolphins roster in 2019 is a monumental “IF”. The Dolphins believe that he is the future of this franchise and Adam Gase believes that he has yet to reach his ceiling. The injuries the last two years however can not be discounted.

The “IF” comes into play should Tannehill require surgery and his 2019 season is in question or shut down. The Dolphins would have to decide if they should keep him and pay him $26 million for a season that he may not be available to play in.

Like I said, hypothetically speaking. The fact is we simply do not know enough about his injury and the off-season is months away. That being said there still is that lingering question. If, there is that ‘if’ again, Tannehill can’t play next year or for a good part of it, then who do the Dolphins turn to? Brock Osweiler for another season?

That might be something the Dolphins consider especially if they make a strong push late for the post-season or even make the post-season. But if they have to turn to free agency or to the draft, that quarterback may be the starter next year and it might be hard for Tannehill to get back his job. That is if he is kept at all.

The timetable to know will be in March when the NFL opens its free agency period. While nothing would have to be done at that point, the cap savings would be important for free agency and if the Dolphins should look to the market they might need that money to pay another quarterback.

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The next timeframe would be the draft. If the Dolphins make quarterback a high-priority then the end could be spelled out for Tannehill. After that it would June 1st.

Reality tells us however that the Dolphins will take as much time as possible and until they know the full extent of Tannehill’s situation, the recovery timeline, and how well he plays or practices after this issue will be telling.

Despite the rampant talk about the situation on social media and Dolphins fan forums, the Dolphins themselves are not going to do anything until the very last-minute when they have no other choices or are presented with a future that does not include the prospect of a healthy Ryan Tannehill. So while it is fun or not, to speculate there really isn’t anything to predict until this injury either allows him to play or takes him out longer than the team expects.

Of course if there is the potential or need for surgery, the Dolphins would do well to get it done now and give him more time to get ready for a return.