#ProTops: What Ryan Tannehill’s Injury Means For Brandon Doughty
On Wednesday in training camp practices for the Miami Dolphins, starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill went down on the sideline after a play…
On Wednesday in training camp practices for the Miami Dolphins, starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill went down on the sideline after a play with an apparent knee injury and while there’s no structural damage, Dolphins fans and the front office alike have reason for concerned.
This is concerning for the Dolphins for many reasons but the main ones being the fact that he Tannehill has had the starting quarterback position on lockdown for the past five years and he led the team to the playoffs last season, until he had a partial tear of his ACL toward the end of the year, sidelining him the rest of the season and kept him from playing in the playoffs.
He had been making strides in the off-season recovering from his injury, but after what happened yesterday, it could be possible (depending on how severe the injury is) that it might require surgery, delaying his comeback on the field. Tannehill was able to walk on his own power after going down, but until the Dolphins officially find out what the extent of the injury is, they are going to have to look at the quarterback position differently.
That’s where Brandon Doughty comes in.
Doughty has been with the Dolphins for a year now, learning from head coach Adam Gase and all the other staff and teammates, including Tannehill, about how to play at the professional level.
WKU Football: Position Preview — Running Back
One of the secret ingredients to the offensive success of WKU football over the past few years has been having a strong…medium.com
Although he has yet to play outside of the preseason and was on the practice squad for the majority of 2016, he could be called on to step up and potentially be second-string on the roster until Tannehill is healthy or someone else is signed to the team.
If the injury is severe for Tannehill and he has to miss most of the season, the Dolphins would look to veteran back-up quarterback Matt Moore, who took over the quarterback position at the end of last season as their starting quarterback for 2017. Doughty could still get decent playing time in the preseason to show the team if he is capable of leading the team and making passes, but he still has to learn a lot before being considered as a starter in the NFL.
Even if the injury to Tannehill isn’t too bad, and he’s deemed good to go by the time the season starts, I don’t see the Dolphins using him in the preseason unless he’s 100% healthy; and even if he is, they may not play him much at all. This could give Doughty more reps with first team in practices, as well as more playing time in the preseason if Tannehill sits out or can’t play.
The more playing time and game experience for Doughty, obviously, the better. If he can come out in the preseason and play strong, that could help his career tremendously and give him critical experience to help him mature as a player moving forward.
All of the Dolphins fan base is holding its breath, hoping Tannehill will be okay, but I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for Doughty to have a major role with the team just yet.
Regardless of what happens with Tannehill, Doughty could get valuable experience in the league and could help him become a better quarterback.