Tannehill has new level of comfort
DAVIE — Two-year-old Steel Tannehill, son of Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, did not have much of a windup when he threw a short pass in the family backyard.
As Steel’s throw barely got much hang time, quickly falling into some grass, his father did not hold back any punches about his arm strength.
“Obviously, we have a little work to do,” Ryan Tannehill said about his son after posting a video to his Twitter account on Tuesday.
Tannehill had to answer to his wife, Lauren, for the lighthearted social media post.
“It was actually a good throw,” Tannehill said with a laugh Wednesday.
“Lauren was like ‘He actually made a good throw. Why’d you have to trash him like that?’ I guess it was for the price of comedy, right?”
Tannehill will officially begin his seventh season with the Dolphins on Sunday, when the team hosts the Tennessee Titans in the season opener at 1 p.m. in Hard Rock Stadium.
It will be Tannehill’s first start since injuring his knee last year during training camp, and his first appearance in 20 games for the Dolphins.
In the meantime, Tannehill is working to become more endearing to fans on social media as a father, husband and the Dol-
phins quarterback. On the field, he is sporting a newfound, confident mindset, heading into his third season in Dolphins coach Adam Gase’s offense.
“For me, I feel more ready this year than I’ve [ever] felt before,” Tannehill said. “It’s tough to say the excitement feels different, but I feel more confident in the guys we have and the path that we’re on.
“Are we there yet? No. But the standards we’ve established in training camp and the offseason, how guys have come to work each and every day, pushing to get better — that’s what excites me more than I’ve ever been.”
Gase has noticed a change in Tannehill as well.
The two have stayed in constant communication and continued to form a working relationship since Tannehill suffered his first knee injury toward the end of the 2016 season. Their bond has contributed to their connectivity this preseason.
Gase said Tannehill has taken his offense by the reins, while praising him for fostering chemistry with Miami’s skilled position players heading into this season.
“I love working with him,” Gase said of Tannehill. “I love how he does everything from the time he gets into the building and when he leaves. He’s really shown me a lot, especially on the practice fields, how he treats every day like a game. He’s taken a hold of this offense, and he’s making it his own.”
As Tannehill has grown more confident under Gase’s tutelage, he has also become slightly more comfortable on social media.
During Monday’s question-and-answer session of sorts on Twitter, Tannehill answered a wideranging group of questions from fans.
Tannehill said return man Jakeem Grant is “so fast you can barely see him on the screen” when asked about his fastest teammate. He weighed in on
“For me, I feel more ready this year than I’ve [ever] felt before.”
Ryan Tannehill
the argument for greatest basketball player of all time, giving Michael Jordan the edge over LeBron James. He fishes more in salt water than he does in fresh water, and has been using an open face reel for a long time.
Tannehill also calmed any noise, if any, about lining up at receiver in the NFL like he did at Texas A&M.
“Yeah, no way I’m playing receiver in the NFL,” Tannehill said with a smile. “I was able to get by in college, but these guys are way too good up here.”
Maybe, the most telling response from Tannehill to a fan was when he mentioned leaning on his faith, family, friends and teammates while dealing with his “tough time” sidelined by his second knee injury.
“I wanted to put in the work to make sure I got back so I could lead them on the field this year,” he said.
Tannehill is still becoming more comfortable on social media, but says the positive responses he receives to his posts are adding to the fun.
“I’m just trying to engage a little more with fans, give fans a little more of a window to my life,” Tannehill said.
Dolphins fans may be more concerned with the window of Tannehill’s life they will see during each game he appears in this season.
And Tannehill hopes to prove them right beginning on Sunday.
“Sunday is going to be huge — I’m really looking forward to it,” Tannehill said. Obviously, I haven’t got to play a full game in a long, long time. To be able to do it at home in front of our fans and go out and do what I love, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”