Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill will undergo season-ending reconstructive surgery to repair a partially torn ACL in his left knee, according to ESPN. The Dolphins officially reached the decision on Saturday when the team placed Tannehill on injured reserve.
Tannehill initially injured his left knee last season during the Dolphins' Week 14 game against the Arizona Cardinals on Dec. 11. Tannehill missed the remainder of the 2016 campaign, including the team's Wild Card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Once the offseason rolled around, the Dolphins continued delaying the possibility of having Tannehill undergo knee surgery. In February, it was reported that Tannehill wouldn't require surgery, opting to go with stem cell therapy instead.
When Tannehill arrived at training camp, he underwent a battery of tests to determine the status of his knee. Those examinations concluded that he was healed, but would need to wear a brace for the entire 2017 season. On Aug. 3, Tannehill reinjured himself on a noncontact play while scrambling on the field.
With Tannehill out of the picture, the Dolphins signed Jay Cutler to a one-year, $10 million contract. Prior to inking the deal with Miami, Cutler had already announced his retirement in May, and appeared well on his way to embarking on the next chapter of his life as a game analyst for Fox Sports. All that, however, was put on hold when his former Chicago Bears and current Dolphins head coach Adam Gase called him up about taking the job.
