Ryan Tannehill could make NFL return — but not with the Dolphins

A reunion between Ryan Tannehill and the Miami Dolphins doesn’t appear to be in the cards.

While the veteran quarterback is looking to get back in the NFL after not signing with a team during the offseason, he likely won’t be returning to the Dolphins because he wants to be able to play the rest of the season and not be a brief fill-in, Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday morning on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.”

And there’s no guarantee Tannehill, 36, would get to be Miami’s starter for the duration of the 2024 campaign.

Tua Tagovailoa, who was placed on injured reserve Tuesday after suffering another scary concussion last Thursday, is hoping to return to the field.

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill looks to pass against the Jets on Nov. 29, 2015. Anthony J. Causi

The Dolphins (1-1) are going with Skylar Thompson for Sunday’s road game against the Seahawks and they signed Tyler Huntley off the Ravens’ practice squad to be their backup.

Miami took Tannehill at No. 8 overall in the 2012 NFL Draft and went 42-46 as the team’s starter, throwing for 20,434 yards, 123 touchdowns and 75 interceptions over six seasons.

Tannehill missed the entire 2017 season due to a torn ACL. He initially injured it during the 2016 season and missed the Dolphins’ wild-card loss. He opted for stem-cell treatment before reinjuring the ligament during training camp in ’17 and then underwent surgery.

Ryan Tannehill throws a pass for the Titans against the Jaguars on Jan. 7, 2024. AP

After a rough 2018, the Dolphins traded Tannehill to the Titans, and in 2019 he won the Comeback Player of the Year Award, throwing for 2,742 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions in 12 games (10 starts) while earning the only Pro Bowl nod of his career.

The Titans decided to move forward with 2023 second-round pick Will Levis after Tannehill’s five seasons with the team.

Tagovailoa, 26, has no plans to retire, Rapoport reported Sunday, after suffering his fourth documented concussion against the Bills.

He will miss a minimum of four games after going on IR, meaning the earliest he could return is Week 8 against the Cardinals.

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) is concussed on a hit by Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) on Sept. 12, 2024. Getty Images

Tua Tagovailoa (1) leaves the field after suffering a concussion in the Dolphins’ game against the Bills on Sept. 12, 2024. AP

Tagovailoa, who signed a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension over the summer, had two concussions during the 2022 season and another with Alabama in 2019.

After visiting Seattle, the Dolphins host Tennessee and then travel to New England before their Week 6 bye. They’ll play the Colts on the road in Week 7.

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