How do I say goodbye to what we had? The good times that made us laugh outweigh the bad.
Boyz II Men’s opening lyric to “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday,” opening this column is the only way to begin.
It is so hard to say goodbye unless the feeling is mutual for both parties.
The Miami Dolphins and quarterback Ryan Tannehill have part ways.
Tannehill ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds at his pro day. The hype only heightened, he was considered the third-ranked quarterback prospect in the 2012 NFL Draft class behind Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III.
In the 2012 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins selected Tannehill with the 8th overall pick. He was the first quarterback selected by the Dolphins in the first round since Dan Marino went 27th overall in 1983. He became the 17th starting quarterback by the Dolphins since Marino and only the third quarterback taken in the first round in franchise history, after Hall of Famers Bob Griese and Marino.
The rest was history up to this point.
The Dolphins traded Tannehill and a sixth-round selection in the 2019 NFL Draft to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a fourth-round selection in the 2020 draft and a seventh-round pick in the 2019 draft. Following the trade, Tannehill signed a one-year deal with the Titans worth $7 million with up to $12 million in incentives.
“We would like to thank Ryan for his commitment to the Miami Dolphins over the last seven seasons,” said Dolphins General Manager Chris Grier in a statement. “Ryan is a tireless worker who always put the team first. We wish him the best with the next step of his career.”
Tannehill started 88 career games for the Dolphins over the past seven seasons (2012-18). He completed 1,829-of-2,911 passes (62.8 pct.) for 20,434 yards and 123 touchdowns. Tannehill is the team’s all-time leading rusher by a quarterback with 1,210 rushing yards. His 62.8 completion percentage and 87.0 passer rating are both second all-time in Dolphins history.
Tannehill helped take the Dolphins to the 2016 postseason before suffering a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament. He later missed all of 2017 after he underwent surgery to repair the issue. It was never the same when he returned as the pressure to win moreover overtake the Tom Brady, and New England Patriots mounted.
Miami’s offense wasn’t a pillar of consistency even when Tannehill was healthy, counting heavily on sporadic, unsustainable big plays to move the ball this season. Miami finished 30th in the NFL in passing yards per game (181.3), fewest by a Dolphins team since 2003.
Dolphins head coach Adam Gase was the first domino to fall in the offseason. In three seasons in Miami, Gase exited with a 23-25 record. The past two years, Gase compiled a 13-19 record. After jumping out to a 3-0 start to the 2018 season, Miami finished 7-9.
The beat goes on, For the Titans, Tannehill, provides some insurance, as Marcus Mariota has also dealt with injury issues of his own. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft has yet to play all 16 games in a season.
The good times did outweigh the bad while Tannehill was in Miami, thank you.
Photo/RyanTannehill/twitter
