“Ryan Tannehill Eyes Starting Opportunity, Could a Return to Miami Be on the Horizon?”
Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill is waiting for an opportunity to start for the remainder of the season, and ironically, his best chance might come from his old team. Tannehill, now 36, spent seven seasons with the Dolphins, starting all 88 games he played. He missed the entire 2017 season due to a torn ACL sustained in August of that year.
During his tenure in Miami, Tannehill completed nearly 63% of his passes, accumulating over 20,000 yards, 123 touchdowns, and 75 interceptions. He left the Dolphins after the 2018 season, joining the Tennessee Titans. In his first year with Tennessee, he earned NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors, was selected to the Pro Bowl, and led the team to the AFC Championship Game. Tannehill finished the last season of his four-year, $118 million contract with the Titans in 2023, but the team opted to move forward with Will Levis as their starting quarterback in 2024.
On September 12, Ari Meirov of 33rd Team reported that the Green Bay Packers, who were missing quarterback Jordan Love at the time, had not shown interest in Tannehill, as he did not want to be a temporary replacement. Meirov explained that when Tannehill became a free agent in March, his plan was to be more like Joe Flacco from last season. He wasn’t interested in signing as a backup and waiting for an injury. Instead, he aimed to step in as a starter for a team that lost its quarterback to a season-ending injury. He still wants to play and does not want to sit on the bench.
The Dolphins may or may not be able to give Tannehill that chance. Starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is out for at least three games due to another concussion, and backup Skylar Thompson was injured after a 24-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks last week. This leaves the Dolphins with Tim Boyle or Tyler Huntley as their remaining quarterback options. Huntley, a Pro Bowler in 2022 as an alternate, has only played in 20 games (all for the Baltimore Ravens as Lamar Jackson’s backup) and started just nine (with a 3-6 record).
Neither Boyle nor Huntley seems like the ideal solution, and Tannehill may be open to returning to Miami, especially if there’s a chance Tagovailoa might miss the rest of the season. Tannehill has nearly 35,000 career passing yards, 216 touchdowns, and 115 interceptions. According to Spotrac, his market value is estimated at $7.7 million this season, which the Dolphins could prorate to account for the games he’s missed.