Gase not sure how long shoulder injury will sideline Tannehill
MIAMI GARDENS The Miami Dolphins are unsure how long they will have to play without starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
Tannehill, who is nursing a sore right shoulder, worked out before Sunday’s game and received treatment with the intention of playing against the Chicago Bears, but he was ultimately ruled inactive.
The Dolphins do not believe the injury will keep him out long-term, but Dolphins coach Adam Gase did not want to give a timetable for Tannehill.
“I don’t know. I know [Sunday] he couldn’t go,” Gase said of Tannehill after backup Brock Osweiler got the start and led the Dolphins to a 31-28 overtime win.
Tannehill re-aggravated the injury in last week’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals after a defensive lineman made hard contact with his shoulder as he winded up for a throw in the fourth quarter.
The football was stripped from Tannehill on the play, and it resulted in the second of two touchdowns for the Bengals defense in the Dolphins’ loss.
Gase said Tannehill was sore after Wednesday’s practice, which Tannehill was a full participant, but the injury got worse on Thursday.
“It just kind of got progressively worse as far as his ability to really throw the ball the way he wanted to,” Gase said of Tannehill.
“So we kind of were just making contingency plans in case it just didn’t get any better. And then [Sunday] morning, when we worked him out, I mean we could tell that he couldn’t go.”
Tannehill was a limited participant in Friday’s practice and listed as questionable for the game, despite being a full participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday.
Tannehill first suffered the shoulder injury in Mi- ami’s Week 3 win over the Raiders on a play that incurred a roughing-thepasser penalty for Oakland defensive lineman Maurice Hurst.
Tannehill was a full participant in Dolphins practices during Week 4 despite showing up on the injury report with the shoulder injury.
He was not on the injury report during Week 5, until practicing with the shoulder injury this past week.
The Dolphins said Tannehill’s injury is a sore shoulder, and not a sprained A/C joint despite reports saying otherwise.
The Dolphins were also without defensive end Charles Harris, who suffered a calf injury in practice on Friday despite being a full participant.
Harris and defense end Cameron Wake (knee) were inactive, but defensive end Andre Branch was active for the first time since injuring his knee against the Raiders.
Dolphins receiver DeVante Parker (quadriceps) was also active for the second time this season. He appeared against the Raiders after recovering from a broken finger suffered during the preseason.
The Dolphins were also without four other players. Cornerback Bobby McCain (knee) and tight end A.J. Derby (foot) are still recovering from injuries while running back Kalen Ballage and linebacker Martrell Spaight are healthy scratches.
Wake has surgery
Dolphins pass rusher Cameron Wake has been sidelined the past two games because of a surgical procedure he had done to his injured knee.
Wake, a five-time Pro Bowler who is playing in his 10th season with the Dolphins, had been experiencing knee pain since Week 2. ESPN was the first to report the surgical procedure, which was likely a scope that will sideline him three to four weeks.
Wake, who has contributed 12 tackles and one sack in the four game’s he’s played this season, could return as early as Sunday’s game against the Lions.