The Phinsider - Ryan Tannehill injury updatesA Miami Dolphins community, established November 18, 2006https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49617/phinsider-fav.png2017-02-23T13:59:48-05:00http://www.thephinsider.com/rss/stream/136792272017-02-23T13:59:48-05:002017-02-23T13:59:48-05:00Ryan Tannehill’s knee healed, clears stability test
<figure>
<img alt="Arizona Cardinals v Miami Dolphins" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Lx2S6gEWmy_KebpBIKllbevN1KI=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53389537/629161024.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>More good news about the Dolphins’ quarterback’s knee.</p> <p id="qAYZUt"> December 11, 2016, <a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Miami Dolphins</a> quarterback <span>Ryan Tannehill</span> was hit hard and went down to the turf. Over his first four seasons in the league, that was not an uncommon sight, as Tannehill continually was sacked and hit at near-record paces. This hit, by the <a href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Arizona Cardinals</a>’ <span>Calais Campbell</span>, was different, however. Campbell hit Tannehill directely in the quarteback’s knee, bending it backward, and Tannehill, who played through blood in his urine a couple of years ago, could not get back up.</p>
<p id="hLPuca">Immediately, fears that Tannehill had completely torn his ACL and would be out of action between nine and twelve months emerged. </p>
<p id="0IRGu5">The news, once MRI testing was completed, was more positive, however, as Tannehill was said to have a sprained ACL and MCL in the left knee. Sprains, by definition, are partial tears, but the ACL not being completely torn gave the team hope that surgery could be avoided, and even the small chance that, should the team advance deep into the playoffs, Tannehill would have been available.</p>
<p id="TFncmk">That availability never materialize, both because the knee needed more time to heal and the Dolphins were knocked out of the playoffs in a Wildcard round loss to the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a>, but the hopes that Tannehill would avoid surgery continued into the start of the offseason. The Dolphins only comments were to routinely say they were still gathering information and that they would wait for doctors to determine exactly what the treatment plan should be.</p>
<p id="0QZ3kA">That led to speculation and criticism as fans and analysts debated whether the Dolphins and Tannehill should just go ahead and have surgery to be ready as early as possible for the next regular season, even if medically, the surgery was unnecessary. On Thursday, that debate seems to have been ended with a resounding no, he should not have had surgery.</p>
<p id="yCSYNx">According to reports from both the <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/armando-salguero/article134484399.html">Miami Herald</a> and the <a href="http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2017/02/23/miami-dolphins-qb-ryan-tannehill-knee-on-track-for-2017-season/">Palm Beach Post</a>, Tannehill’s knee has passed the latest round of stability tests, and, as Armando Salguero wrote in the Herald, Tannehill’s knee was “ pronounced healed by team doctor <span>John Uribe</span> and with a concurring second opinion of respected surgeon Dr. James Andrews” and the quarterback will “be participating in the team’s conditioning program in April, OTA days which begin in May, minicamps after that, and training camp which is supposed to begin in late July.”</p>
<p id="k11FBP">The reports also indicate that doctors feel there is no additional risk of re-injuring the ACL as compared to someone who has had the ACL surgically repaired. That is great news for Tannehill and the Dolphins.</p>
<p id="TBhjhc">Head coach Adam Gase will likely use Tannehill sparingly early in the offseason and training camp, making sure he gets comfortable on the knee before they start ramping up his use. The team did the same thing with defensive end <span>Cameron Wake</span> in 2016, as the Pro Bowler worked his way back from an Achilles tear mid-season in 2015. Tannehill will likely wear a knee brace as a protective measure.</p>
<p id="wGX9PZ">Tannehill finished 2016 with 2,995 passing yards, a 67.1-percent completion rate, a 7.7-yards-per-attempt average, 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and a 93.5 passer rating. His completion rate, yards per attempt, and passer rating were all career highs. He played in 12 of the team’s 16 regular season games.</p>
https://www.thephinsider.com/miami-dolphins-injuries/2017/2/23/14715622/ryan-tannehill-knee-injury-surgery-healed-update-recovery-clearedKevin Nogle2017-01-30T09:05:11-05:002017-01-30T09:05:11-05:00Tannehill not expected to need ACL replacement; New MRI on Monday
<figure>
<img alt="NFL: Arizona Cardinals at Miami Dolphins" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SBOgRcO0zlE40I-sr0q7pTn0xXA=/30x0:4079x2699/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52984805/usa_today_9750580.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="XjLVff">Over the past several weeks, there has been a constant stream of updates that have not really updated anything when it comes to the status of <a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Miami Dolphins</a> quarterback <span>Ryan Tannehill</span>’s knee injury. Officially listed as a sprain of the ACL and MCL in his left knee, the updates from the coaching staff has consistently said the team was still gathering information and trying to come up with the right plan to rehabilitate the injury which occurred on December 11 against the <a href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Arizona Cardinals</a>.</p>
<p id="rsCzhE">Some fans immediately reacted to the inability of the team to say surgery could not be ruled out as a sign that the team was mis-handling the recovery, and that Tannehill should have already have had the repair completed in order to prepare him for the 2017 season. Nevermind that the team’s doctors, along with specialists such as Dr. James Andrews, were involved in the recovery and were doing the best thing for the player, clearly Tannehill should have already had surgery.</p>
<p id="Jx1Wjd">On Monday, news from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport seemed to demonstrate why waiting to make the decision and trying to see what rehab and time will do for the knee, rather than rushing into surgery simply to do surgery, made the most sense:</p>
<div id="N3zLnU">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" align="center">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dolphins?src=hash">#Dolphins</a> QB Ryan Tannehill is not believed to need ACL reconstruction prior to ’17 season, sources say. MRI today to confirm the good news</p>— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/826059785275658240">January 30, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="PdADck">Rapoport writes in his article on <a href="http://NFL.com">NFL.com</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p id="yui_3_10_3_2_1485785100459_706"><a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000780675/article/ryan-tannehill-not-believed-to-need-full-acl-reconstruction?campaign=tw-nf-sf53401271-sf53401271">Tannehill has a benchmark MRI later today</a>, and more details should be known. But at this point, after countless strengthening and rehab exercises, Tannehill's knee is stable enough to feel confident going into the season, per sources.</p>
<p id="pRchEe">Tannehill's MCL, which was also damaged in the late-season hit, is actually giving him more problems than the ACL. MCL sprains aren't fixed surgically, and he will be fine long before the season.</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="4WqeVK">Rapoport also adds that Dr. Andrews has already conducted one healing procedure on Tannehill’s knee and that the quarterback could head to Germany to get the platelet separating, regeneration treatment that became widely known when Kobe Bryant used it several year ago.</p>
<p id="sIAV2d">That is great news for Tannehill and the Dolphins. Could Tannehill need a minor surgery to clean up something in the knee, or will a surgery sometime down the road in his career be necessary? Possibly, but at this point, the doctors seem to think his knee will be fine without a major operation - one that would mean somewhere between 9 and 12 months of rehab, plus, often, another year to finally feel comfortable on the knee. Waiting for the swelling to subside, the knee to begin to heal, and for measures of how the knee responds to therapy seems to have been the orders from the doctors, and thus far, it seems to have been the correct prognosis. </p>
<p id="8alPCB">The Dolphins, the doctors, and Tannehill are being smart with how they approach the rehabilitation of his knee, and nothing they have done has seemed to have been incorrect.</p>
https://www.thephinsider.com/miami-dolphins-injuries/2017/1/30/14438070/ryan-tannehill-injury-knee-surgery-mri-resultsKevin Nogle2017-01-12T13:03:48-05:002017-01-12T13:03:48-05:00Surgery not yet ruled out for Ryan Tannehill
<figure>
<img alt="NFL: Arizona Cardinals at Miami Dolphins" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7tiIo5N9TpH02VM_qyBhqFoffWI=/0x174:3068x2219/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52719491/usa_today_9750683.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Dolphins are still trying to figure out what the right move is for their starting quarterback.</p> <p id="tNNSwt"><a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Miami Dolphins</a> quarterback <span>Ryan Tannehill</span> missed the final three games of the regular season as well as the team’s playoff contest against the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a> as he dealt with sprained ligaments in his left knee. The injury came during the team’s Week 14 game against the <a href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Arizona Cardinals</a>, with initial fears that the ACL was completely torn and Tannehill would be lost for 9 to 12 months of rehab. After MRI results returned, it was determined that the injury was sprains to the ACL and MCL in the left knee, with Tannehill potentially able to return later in the season if things progressed quickly enough.</p>
<p id="TWV8hs">Now that the season is over, however, the Dolphins are not ruling out the possibility that Tannehill could still need surgery to repair the knee.</p>
<p id="KBKvEQ">“We’re still going through that process right now with the trainers with what our next step is, where his health is, how strong is his knee,” head coach Adam Gase said during a media availability on Wednesday after being asked if Tannehill woudl need surgery and how much better can his play get in 2017. “We’re still going through that. We’re still collecting information. Doctors are still giving us what possibly could be down the road. So it’s hard for us to really pinpoint anything as of this moment right now. It’s hard to say how much better he can get. Every year is so different. Things happen within a season and sometimes confidence can go up and down and when we start next year, it’s going to be a different animal for him. He’s going to have a different perspective. I’m sure we’re going to have different guys on our roster. You’re starting over. You’re not starting as far back as what we did this year, where we started from scratch. We’re at least going to have a good starting point. We’ll see how quickly we can kind of gel as a group, starting in the spring.”</p>
<p id="yxJgSF">He then continued, “We still don’t have all the exacts. We’re working through that right now. Until we’re told by our doctors and our medical staff, ‘This is where we’re at,’ specifically, he’s still going through a rehab stage right now and doing what he can do with the trainers. Our doctors are evaluating it. I’ve said it before. I don’t have the information to tell you guys what’s going on with where we exactly are at and what happens moving forward, so right now it’s on our medical staff to give us the information we need going forward.”</p>
<p id="swXTsJ">Pressed one last time for specifics, and whether Tannehill will need “major reconstructive” surgery, Gase replied, “I don’t even know. I can’t answer that because that hasn’t been a question that really we’ve dove into quite yet.”</p>
<p id="m6C5RP">It seems clear Gase is not ready to rule out the possibility of Tannehill needing surgery, but the team and medical personnel involved seem to be continuing to take things slowly with Tannehill. He was able to return to practice on the Friday before the team’s playoff game, but he was limited and worked primarily with the scout team to see how his knee would respond. By definition, a sprain is a tear, and the ACL does not heal itself, so if the partial tear cannot be rehabbed or causes issues that could threaten Tannehill’s future, surgery could make sense at some point. When that is, or when the decision could be made, is not known.</p>
<p id="HCvPNG">All we know right now is, surgery is not yet ruled out for Miami’s starting quarterback.</p>
https://www.thephinsider.com/miami-dolphins-injuries/2017/1/12/14252656/ryan-tannehill-knee-injury-surgery-adam-gase-interviewKevin Nogle2017-01-06T09:00:08-05:002017-01-06T09:00:08-05:00Gase: ‘We still needed more time’ for Tannehill
<figure>
<img alt="New England Patriots v Miami Dolphins" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9sz8mad7qXGlkPqt_zAk_Ki6TCs=/0x0:2001x1334/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52624977/630780134.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Moore will start the team’s first Playoff game since 2008.</p> <p id="78m9wK">Multiple media reports yesterday indicated <a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Miami Dolphins</a> quarterback <span>Ryan Tannehill</span> would not be available for the team’s Wildcard playoff game against the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a> on Sunday. Tannehill is recovering from a knee injury that sidelined him for the final three games of the regular season, but was progressing enough that there was hope he would be able to practice, and potentially play in the game, this week. Those hopes proved to be premature, however, as the Dolphins’ fifth-year quarterback was unable to get back on the practice field this week.</p>
<p id="0VTbhT">Thursday afternoon, Dolphins head coach Adam Gase spoke about the decision to keep backup quarterback <span>Matt Moore</span> in the starting lineup with Tannehill on the sideline. “Yesterday, just watching him move around, it just felt like we were still – we still needed more time,” Gase explained about Tannehill’s movement. “It just felt it was the right thing to do just so we can move on in this week and not play this ‘What are we going to do?’ And just focus on what we’re doing right now with Matt (Moore) and the game plan to where guys can just focus on that and not worry about if there is a possibility of him coming back this week.”</p>
<p id="dDeHad">Gase went on to discuss Tannehill’s week, including if there was any chance Tannehill could have practice this week. “I think we’re close,” he said. “I think we’re close but we’re still kind of in that gray area where we’ve got to keep talking to him and he needs to keep letting us know where he’s at and how he feels and keep talking to the doctors. We’re still in a lot of conversation and every day he starts moving around. We try to do different drills with him and just to try to figure out what he can articulate to us.”</p>
<p id="d2kvPR">The media asked Gase how important it was to have a decision and for everyone on the team to know which way the team is headed as they go into their first playoff game since 2008. “I mean it’s just little tiny things,” Gase explained. “There is just no gray area for anybody. I think this week is very important for us to focus on the task at hand and not have anything that could possibly distract our guys from the game.”</p>
<p id="Y32EHu">Gase went on to explain how he let Moore know he would be the starter, stating, “I told him nothing’s changing. I’m just going to say Ryan’s not going to play this week.”</p>
<p id="rtocsT">This will mark the first playoff game for Moore, a nine-year veteran of the league. Since taking over the starting role for the Dolphins during the team’s Week 14 game against the <a href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Arizona Cardinals</a>, Moore is 55-for-87, a 63.2 percent completion rate, throwing for 721 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions, giving him a 105.6 passer rating. The team has gone 2-1 in the three games he started.</p>
<p id="s3yNbq">Tannehill finished the season 261-for-389 for a 67.1 completion percentage, throwing for 2,995 yards with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, giving him a 93.5 passer rating.</p>
<p id="R47Zgq">Miami remains hopeful that, should they beat the Steelers on Sunday, Tannehill could be available for the Divisional round game the following weekend against the <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a>. Miami beat the Steelers 30-15 in Week 6 of the regular season, behind a 204 yard rushing performance from <span>Jay Ajayi</span>.</p>
<p id="TA6NOb">Kickoff for the Wildcard game will be Sunday at 1:05pm ET from Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field.</p>
https://www.thephinsider.com/2017/1/6/14189170/dolphins-steelers-playoffs-wilcard-ryan-tannehill-injury-update-matt-moore-startKevin Nogle2017-01-05T12:47:52-05:002017-01-05T12:47:52-05:00Dolphins rule Tannehill out of Wildcard game
<figure>
<img alt="Arizona Cardinals v Miami Dolphins" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ADcpLwjsAd-xvLWO4IkHPT8Q3BA=/0x186:2200x1653/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52609899/629594500.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Tannehill’s knee injury has not progressed to the point that he is ready to return.</p> <p id="eOcZHn">The <a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Miami Dolphins</a> hopes that <span>Ryan Tannehill</span> would be able to recover from the sprained ACL and MCL in his left knee in time for him to take back his starting position as the team entered the playoffs looks like it will not be happening. According to multiple media reports, league sources have indicated the Dolphins are ruling out the fifth year quarterback for this Sunday’s Wildcard game against the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a>.</p>
<p id="CDPcCm">Head coach Adam Gase is expected to confirm that Tannehill is out for the team’s first playoff game since 2008 when he speaks with the media Thursday.</p>
<p id="rRynUL">Tannehill injured his left knee against the <a href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Arizona Cardinals</a> in Week 14 when he was hit directly in the front of the knee just after he planted and threw a pass. The team initially were concerned that he had torn the ACL, which would require a surgery and likely sideline him for nine to twelve months. After MRI testing revealed sprains, but not complete tears, the team was hopeful that he would be able to return and did not place Tannehill on injured reserve, which would have immediately ended his season.</p>
<p id="dNTZ0O">The Dolphins were hopeful that Tannehill would return to practice this week, but confidence in his knee from both the player and the coaches was never enough to actually allow him on the field during drills. </p>
<p id="05tTsJ">The team has not given up hope that, should they advance past the Steelers this weekend, Tannehill could return to practice next week and possibly be available to play against the <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a> in the divisional round. <span>Matt Moore</span> will continue to start in Tannehill’s place.</p>
https://www.thephinsider.com/miami-dolphins-injuries/2017/1/5/13691580/ryan-tannehill-knee-injury-playoff-wildcard-game-pittsburgh-steelersKevin Nogle2017-01-02T10:00:07-05:002017-01-02T10:00:07-05:00Ryan Tannehill expected to practice this week
<figure>
<img alt="Miami Dolphins v Buffalo Bills" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/v7aZqTM10B5vbqsvezPMuo0UF7I=/0x0:5141x3427/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52555263/636899136.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Miami’s starting quarterback is expected to begin practicing this week with hopes he could play Sunday.</p> <p id="5mniCi">The Miami Dolphins are in the NFL Playoffs for the first time since 2008, and, if things continue to progress, they could see their starting quarterback get his first ever postseason start. Ryan Tannehill, who has missed the last three games due to sprained ligaments in his left knee, is, according to a report from the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero, <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/armando-salguero/article124099764.html">expected to return to practice this week</a>. </p>
<p id="c1oO4E">To be fair, those practices could all be limited workouts that do not lead to Miami feeling their franchise quarterback is ready to be on the field in a game situation. If that is the case, Matt Moore, who finished the season 2-1 as a starter in Tannehill’s place, would again be called upon to start. The good news is simply that Tannehill, who could have easily had a season-ending injury to the knee, one that would have required surgery and could have put the start of his 2017 season in jeopardy, has continued to progress each week since the injury occurred.</p>
<p id="rgoYzL">Tannehill was injured against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 14 when a low hit bent his left knee backward just after he planted it and threw a pass. In Week 15, he was on the sidelines wearing a full-leg cast and using crutches as the Dolphins beat the New York Jets. The next week, against the Buffalo Bills, Tannehill was again on the sideline, but was walking without the crutches and the cast had been removed, though there was a noticeable limp. During last week’s practices, Tannehill showed up on Wednesday but did not participate in any workouts but he was throwing passes on the sideline; Thursday saw him starting to work on drop backs with a resistance band as part of his rehabilitation work.</p>
<p id="D3yT5B">Tannehill will have to convince head coach Adam Gase that the knee is ready, and that Tannehill is ready to trust his knee. After saying last week that the team will be “very, very smart” about bringing back the quarterback, Gase added on Sunday, “I’m going to make the call on it. If I don’t feel comfortable with it, then Matt [Moore] will stay the starting quarterback. I need to get a lot of information: I have to see him practice and I have to see him move around and I have to feel really good about it. I’m not going to jeopardize his career by throwing him out there and then extending this thing longer than what it already is. I’m going to make sure that the right decision is made.”</p>
<p id="gM2Yxm">Tannehill finished the season with career highs in completion percentage (67.1), yards per attempt (7.7), and passer rating (93.5). He had 2,995 yards with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions on the year.</p>
<p id="TnagD4">The Dolphins face the Pittsburgh Steelers as part of the NFL’s Wildcard Weekend. Kickoff is set for 1pm ET on Sunday.</p>
https://www.thephinsider.com/2017/1/2/14144928/ryan-tannehill-injury-update-playoffs-wildcard-weekend-miami-dolphins-return-practice-knee-acl-mclKevin Nogle2016-12-30T15:39:29-05:002016-12-30T15:39:29-05:00Ryan Tannehill injury rehab work up to drop-backs with resistance bands
<figure>
<img alt="NFL: Arizona Cardinals at Miami Dolphins" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/A3Eud_nHf7LWLAUjK67AORp8l-8=/0x139:3311x2346/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52531003/usa_today_9741126.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Every day, it seems quarterback Ryan Tannehill progresses just a little.</p> <p id="d3Xc6a">The Miami Dolphins will head into the regular season finale against the New England Patriots with quarterback Matt Moore making his third straight start after starter Ryan Tannehill sprained the ACL and MCL in his left knee. Tannehill was on the sideline for the team’s Week 15 game against the New York Jets, where he was wearing a cast and moving around on crutches. He was again on the sideline during the team’s Week 16 Buffalo Bills contest, but the cast and crutches were gone, though Tannehill was walking with a limp.</p>
<p id="r7QA9E">Now, as the team closes in on the Week 17 game, Tannehill’s knee appears to be recovering, with noticeable steps each day. Yesterday, Tannehill was on the sidelines during practice, throwing passes but not doing any movement work. According to a report from the Palm Beach Post’s Jason Lieser, <a href="http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2016/12/30/miami-dolphins-qb-ryan-tannehill-back-to-on-field-work/">Friday had Tannehill starting to do some drop-back work in his rehabilitation assignments</a>, including work with a resistance band. Tannehill has already been ruled out for the game against the Patriots, and he may not make it back for the team’s Wildcard playoff game in a week, but he is at least making obvious steps towards being available.</p>
<p id="hWO0Ud">The Dolphins have not placed Tannehill on injured reserve giving him the chance to return in the playoffs if his knee is 100 percent. Head coach Adam Gase has said the team will be “very, very smart” about when to bring back Tannehill, with concern that, if he is not fully recovered, they could be risking his 2017 season.</p>
<p id="LOBzri"></p>
https://www.thephinsider.com/miami-dolphins-injuries/2016/12/30/14128698/ryan-tannehill-injury-update-knee-acl-mcl-rehab-work-up-to-drop-backs-with-resistance-bandsKevin Nogle2016-12-25T11:00:23-05:002016-12-25T11:00:23-05:00Ryan Tannehill walking without crutches, cast
<figure>
<img alt="NFL: Miami Dolphins at New York Jets" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Nj9NAbmpBXv2Ha_bVpwJaUWTLdg=/518x188:1963x1151/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52453311/usa_today_9752255.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Miami Dolphins starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill is progressing from the sprained knee ligaments he suffered two weeks ago.</p> <p id="hyKsuS">While the focus on Saturday’s Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills game was on the field and if Miami would be able to reach a tenth win on the season, putting themselves into position to claim a playoff berth, there was a story line on the sidelines as well. Starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill, inactive for the second straight week due to sprained ligaments in his left knee, was seen throughout the game walking around without the aid of crutches. That is a distinct progress from the previous week when he was limited in his movement throughout the game as he leaned on a crutch throughout the contest.</p>
<p id="rYI6WG">After the game, Miami Herald reporter Adam Beasley noted that the <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins/article122872964.html">full-leg cast Tannehill had been wearing in Week 15 was gone for the Week 16 game.</a> Beasley added that Tannehill described the lack of a cast as “great news” and that Tannehill had received treatment from surgeon James Andrews during the week. The Dolphins have not placed Tannehill, who started the first 77 games of his career before the knee injury, on injured reserve and are hoping he would be able to return if the team is able to clinch their first playoff appearance since 2008.</p>
<p id="A6QL5k">There was still a notable limp in Tannehill’s strides.</p>
<p id="LqxSOQ">Tannehill was injured in Week 14 when, during the third quarter of the team’s eventual win over the Arizona Cardinals, he was hit in the left knee just after he planted his foot and threw a pass. Initial fears that he had torn his ACL proved to be false, but he was diagnosed as having sprains to the ACL and MCL. The sprains, which are by definition partial tears, are thought ot need anywhere from two to nine weeks to full heal.</p>
<p id="15cJFs">The Dolphins started Matt Moore for the second time in place of Tannehill, and he struggled throughout the first half of the game, which he finished with a 5-for-14 for 57 yards and an interception stat-line, giving him a 19.0 passer rating. He finished the game 16 for 30 for 233 yards with two touchdowns and a sack, giving him an 87.2 passer rating; DeVante Parker picked up 56 of those yards and one of the touchdown on a short pass in which he broke a tackle and ran all the way down the field, while Damien Williams had a similar short pass broken for a long gain of 44 yards. Moore was effective directing the team’s game tying drive near the end of regulation.</p>
<p id="1FcOrL"></p>
https://www.thephinsider.com/miami-dolphins-injuries/2016/12/25/14078258/ryan-tannehill-knee-injury-update-no-cast-great-news-matt-mooreKevin Nogle