Ryan Tannehill is unconcerned about his future, wants to end his career with Dolphins
With one week left in the regular season, Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill is unconcerned about his future. As of now, he says he’s just focused on helping his 7-8 team avoid a second consecutive losing season.
There is plenty of speculation around the league about which veteran quarterbacks might make it to 2019 with their current clubs. Even Super Bowl champions Eli Manning and Joe Flacco aren’t safe. But Tannehill is hoping to stay with the only franchise he’s ever known.
“Honestly, I haven’t put a whole lot of thought into it,” Tannehill said on Wednesday. “I have a lot of belief in myself. I know what I can bring to the table wherever it is. But I want to be here. I want to finish my career as a Dolphin and win a championship here. That’s what they brought me here for and that’s what I came to do.”
What are the Dolphins’ options?
The former No. 8 pick in the 2012 draft, Tannehill has been solid when healthy. A torn ACL resulted in a lost 2017, while he has missed five games this season with a shoulder injury. Tannehill’s 65.0 percent completion rate, 7.0 percent touchdown rate and 7.5 yards per attempt are all above his career averages, although he’s also averaging a career-worst 183.2 yards per game.
Tannehill has never been one of the 10 best quarterbacks in the league, but it’s hard to find an elite signal-caller, and Tannehill is invested in the franchise.
“I love this organization,” Tannehill said. “I love the guys on this team. I love competing with the guys on this team. I’ve been here my whole career and love it in South Florida, love what South Florida brings to the table. So yeah, I’d love to be here.”
For now, Tannehill is likely a safe bet to be on the team for the 2019 season if for no other reason than his contract. Tannhill signed a four-year, $77 million extension in 2015 that still has plenty of guaranteed money left on it.
While his cap hit is $26.6 million for 2019, the Dolphins would have to eat more than half that amount of money ($13.4 million) if they cut him. Those figures drop to a $25.1 million cap hit and $5.6 million in dead money in 2020. Still, that would be a lot of money for the team to swallow, when they would have to spend money elsewhere to replace Tannehill.
Could potential turnover save Tannehill’s job?
With two straight seasons out of the playoffs, owner Stephen Ross is likely to shake up the front office a bit by dismissing executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum, although head coach Adam Gase is safe for now. This could actually work in Tannehill’s favor for keeping his job.
Gase will likely need a strong season to secure a future with the Dolphins, and it would be a huge roll of the dice to try to save his job with a new quarterback. The Dolphins may still draft a quarterback as a long-term replacement for Tannehill, who turns 31 shortly before the preseason, but Gase has a strong connection with Tannehill and can empathize with his situation.
“At that position, you take a lot of the bullets,” Gase said. “Sometimes you don’t get all of the credit when you might deserve it … You’re under fire all of the time. Between the head coach and the quarterback, you’re not missed. Everybody knows where you are and what you’re doing and how you’re handling things.”
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