Ryan Tannehill will have season-ending knee surgery

Ryan Tannehill went down with a knee injury during a Dolphins training camp practice on Thursday. Early reports said Tannehill’s knee hadn’t suffered any structural damage, but Tannehill will need season-ending surgery on his ACL, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Tannehill’s left knee buckled with no contact, and the team was concerned because it was the same knee the quarterback injured last season. Tannehill opted against having the knee surgically repaired last year. That option isn’t on the table for Tannehill with his current injury.

Last year’s injury occurred when Calais Campbell hit him low, partially tearing Tannehill’s ACL. Tannehill missed the final three games of the season, as well as the Dolphins’ 30-12 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wildcard round of the playoffs. Before that injury, Tannehill had never missed a game since Miami drafted him with the eighth overall pick in the 2012 draft.

Now he’ll miss the entire 2017 season. With Week 1 looming, the Dolphins had an urgent decision to make at the quarterback position. They answered that question by signing Jay Cutler to a one-year, $10 million deal even before a decision had been made about surgery for Tannehill.

Cutler reunites with his former offensive coordinator with the Bears, Adam Gase, who is now his head coach with the Dolphins. Cutler had one of his best statistical seasons under Gase’s leadership in 2015. He finished with 3,659 yards and 21 touchdowns against 11 interceptions.

Cutler missed 11 games last season due to injury, and if he goes down again this year, the Dolphins have Matt Moore on the roster as a backup. Moore stepped last year when Tannehill was injured and had 721 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions in Tannehill’s stead. Brandon Doughty and David Fales are also options already on the Dolphins roster.

Tannehill finished the 2016 season with 2,995 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions and led the Dolphins to an 8-5 record in his 13 starts.