Miami Dolphins, Ryan Tannehill a match made in heaven?

By Justen Rosenberg | Feb 12, 2015

The Miami Dolphins and 2012 first round pick, quarterback Ryan Tannehill, are reported to be in the midst of a contract extension. However, while the deal would give the Dolphins stability at the quarterback position, many are questioning whether or not Tannehill’s play fits the mold of the contract.

At first, the deal itself might sound a little outrageous. As reported by Dave Hyde of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the extension would be for seven years with a maximum price tag of $105 million, which will also include incentives.

After seeing a contract length for seven seasons, there is always reason to be skeptical, no matter who the player is. That is a long time to commit to an athlete, however, the payout could be enormous. But is Tannehill worth that type of commitment? There are two ways to look at it.

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One, you could look at it from a personal statistic standpoint. During his time in Miami, Tannehill has shown clear improvement. Aside from his rookie season (where offensive coordinator Mike Sherman had him on a leash), Tannehill has gotten better each year.

In 2014, he lead the Dolphins offense to one of their best seasons in nearly two decades. Tannehill finished the season setting career highs in passing yards (4,045), touchdowns (27) and completion percentage (66.4).

Unfortunately, for the second straight season the Dolphins collapsed on a near playoff berth.

Which brings us to the second way.

In Tannehill’s three seasons as the Dolphins quarterback, the team has yet to make the postseason. Aside from consistently missing out on the playoffs, the team has also had a losing record (23-25).

However, it is unfair to point the majority of blame towards Tannehill. Football is a team game, which means no one person is to blame. Still, if you’re going to pay your quarterback that much money, you would want to make sure he at least elevates the players around him. So far, Tannehill has not proven to be able to do so.

But despite the cause for skepticism, here’s why this deal would be a great signing for Miami. If the contract is in the format that Hyde reported on, money would be guaranteed for two seasons before giving Miami an out clause prior to the third season.

That alone screams low-risk, high payout for the Dolphins. For more than a decade, the team has lacked a franchise quarterback. Although there is still a lot of room to improve, Tannehill has showcased glimpses of potential greatness throughout his first three years in the league.

In this league you pay based off potential, and after last season, it is hard to argue that Tannehill doesn’t have potential worth paying for. Tannehill was fifth in the NFL in completion percentage and had more touchdowns and a better passer rating than Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton – both who have signed $100 million + deals.

Miami has three options: allow Tannehill to play the final season of his contract, accept his fifth-year option for the league average of the top-ten paid quarterbacks which is around $15 million, or sign him to a long term deal.

As of now, it would be wise for Miami to work out a long term deal. If Tannehill has another career season, he could demand a higher salary, where as opposed to signing him to that contract now at a cheaper rate.

Regardless, this offseason Miami will decide Tannehill’s future as the May 2nd deadline to accept his fifth-year option is approaching.

Next: Should Dolphins cut Mike Wallace?

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