Dolphins fear Ryan Tannehill tore his ACL after taking low hit against Cardinals
The Dolphins quarterback could be seen wiping tears from his eyes on the sidelines
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The Dolphins were cruising against the Cardinals on Sunday through nearly three quarters. And then disaster struck.
With just under two minutes remaining in the third quarter, Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill exited the game with a knee injury. He did not return.
After the game, Dolphins coach Adam Gase indicated that the injury is serious. The team fears it's a torn ACL.
Adam Gase confirms the Dolphins are concerned it's a torn ACL for Ryan Tannehill. Was making big strides this season
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) December 11, 2016
The reason Tannehill was sidelined? A low, dangerous hit within the pocket by Cardinals defense end Calais Campbell, who was fined for a low hit on Cam Newton earlier this season (he did, however, apologize for that hit).
Below, you'll see Tannehill limping his way to the locker room.
Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill is leaving the game at the end of the third quarter with what appears to be a serious left knee injury. pic.twitter.com/q64pUE7V4p
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) December 11, 2016
When the quarterback returned to the sideline, he was visibly upset and received hugs from his teammates:
Ryan Tannehill is wiping tears from his eyes and taking hugs from his teammates on the sideline. Emotional scene.
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) December 11, 2016
Before Tannehill left the game, he guided the Dolphins to a 21-9 lead by completing 15 of 20 passes for 195 yards, three touchdowns and one interception (and the most hilariously awful pass perhaps in NFL history). He was replaced by Matt Moore, who helped the Dolphins pull off a last-second 26-23 win.
With the win, the Dolphins improved to 8-5, but they'll have a tough time securing a playoff spot down the stretch if Tannehill is done for the year.
Under Gase's guidance, Tannehill has shown promise that he can develop into a more consistent quarterback. He entered the game with a career-highs in completion percentage (66.7) and yards per attempt (7.6).
