DAVIE, Fla. – Ryan Tannehill has been ruled out Sunday versus the Detroit Lions as an investigation was opened into how the Dolphins reported his shoulder injury, a source confirmed to ESPN.
Brock Osweiler, who threw for a career-high 380 yards in a 31-28 win over the Bears, will start for the second consecutive week. Adam Gase said he’s not sure yet if Tannehill will be able to go next Thursday at Houston.
“He just can’t throw,” Gase said.
Tannehill participated in practice on a limited basis Wednesday. He worked on footwork, handed the football off with his right arm, but he did not throw in any capacity during the open viewing period. The Dolphins have plans to make sure he’s healthy and ready to react to the stresses of throwing before putting him back out there.
Rest has been the recovery recommendation for Tannehill. Gase needs to see him make all the throws and feel comfortable about that before he’s ready to play.
Gase said he’s “not sure” whether Tannehill faces a long-term injury, but the coach has complete confidence that the 30-year-old quarterback will play again in 2018. When asked about Tannehill’s situation, Gase quickly interjected, “Yes, he will be the starter” again when he’s healthy.
As far as the NFL’s investigation, this is common with prominent players, especially starting quarterbacks, and will involve gathering the details of how Tannehill went from full practice participant on Wednesday and Thursday, limited participant on Friday to out on Sunday, and making sure Miami adhered to the league policy.
Tannehill was made a surprise scratch for Sunday’s game vs. Chicago Bears after the Dolphins say his right shoulder injury got “progressively worse” throughout the week. He was listed as questionable on Friday.
Gase said that he believes Tannehill injured his right shoulder on a fourth quarter sack-fumble by Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap in a Week 5 loss at Cincinnati. On the play, Tannehill’s arm is hit awkwardly from behind before he completed his throwing motion and he was down on the ground for a few moments after the play.
Few thought much of the injury because Tannehill was listed as a full practice participant on Wednesday and Thursday. Gase later said that backup QB Brock Osweiler took a few snaps with the first-team on Thursday when Tannehill’s injury worsened.
“It was such an unusual situation,” Gase said. “Last week, we started the week and he was sore, but it got worse as the week went on. That’s why we found ourselves in a position that we weren’t really thinking we were going to be in.
“Anytime he’s been banged up or some kind of injury, he’s always progressed positively. That’s why we thought we would get the same thing. That didn’t happen. That’s why we waited until the last minute.”
The Miami Herald was the first to report this investigation.