The Dolphins placed sixth-year quarterback Ryan Tannehill on IR Friday night. He will undergo season-ending ACL surgery, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports, emphasizing there is “no chance” the 29-year-old passer returns this season.
Injured last week during practice, Tannehill will now undergo the surgery the Dolphins debated late last season. He opted to traverse a non-surgical course, but this latest setback will send Tannehill to the operating table.
Salguero reports Tannehill made this decision tonight after speaking to Adam Gase. Tannehill again considered other, less invasive treatment options but will undergo surgery next week. Salguero notes he is expected to be ready for training camp next summer. The precise type of surgery isn’t yet known, but Salguero reports this operation will definitely be a reconstructive procedure.
The Dolphins — and their bid to make a second straight playoff appearance for the first time since the 2000-01 seasons — are now in Jay Cutler‘s hands. The 34-year-old passer signed a $10MM deal which is fully guaranteed, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter), coming out of retirement in this emergency circumstance.
Tannehill completed a career-high 67 percent of his passes in Gase’s system last season, and although his season was cut short after 13 games, the former first-round pick piloted the Fins to an 8-5 record while healthy. Matt Moore guided the Dolphins into the playoffs before the Steelers ousted them in Round 1.
Tannehill will turn 30 next July. He’s under contract through 2020, although no money is guaranteed in 2019 or ’20.