The Miami Dolphins apparently dodged a major bullet on Thursday with news that the knee injury Ryan Tannehill suffered in practice did not include any structural damage (more on that here).
The injury itself looked really bad, leading to reports that he might have suffered another torn ACL (or another serious injury) in the same knee that saw Tannehill injure late last season.
It was most definitely a scary few hours for the brass in South Beach, especially considering the Dolphins themselves enter the 2017 season with division championship aspirations after earning a rare playoff appearance in 2016.
While things seem to be okay on the Tannehill’ front, at least one report is suggesting that further tests are needed to evaluate the significance of the injury.
No significant damage found in Ryan Tannehill's knee from initial MRI but further evaluation needed, source says. Situation still uncertain.
— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) August 3, 2017
In no way does this mean that Tannehill did in fact suffer a serious injury. More than anything, it’s likely Miami’s way of playing this with extreme caution. After all, the idea of Matt Moore or an unnamed free agent quarterback starting under center in 2017 would limit the Dolphins’ to second-class status in the AFC.
Tannehill will surely miss some time this preseason. And in reality, there’s no real reason to rush him back on the field for meaningless exhibition games. But we still don’t know the full extent of the injury he suffered Thursday. That’s going to lead to more anxiety in Miami here over the short term.