Rehabbing with Tannehill kept McMillan on right track
DAVIE — Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill and then-rookie middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan bonded last year through an unfortunate and unexpected coincidence.
Both players missed all of last season with torn ACLs, and because their injuries took place a week apart they ended up on nearly identical comeback tracks. McMillan and Tannehill had surgery on the same day, returned to team headquarters on the same day and began rehabilitation at the same time.
“From Day 1, it was always a competition,” McMillan said of the relationship he formed with Tannehill as they went through the process together. “Who could walk without their crutches first? Who could run full speed under water first? Who could get a bigger quad muscle? Just little stupid stuff like that just to keep competing with each other.”
He reluctantly acknowledged Tannehill won most of those contests, crediting him for being more at ease with some of the soreness that comes with that process.
Tannehill’s maturity and positivity undoubtedly rubbed off on McMillan, who needed that mentorship after watching his rookie season shatter before it began. He was 21 at the time, and it helped to have a veteran like Tannehill walking through the arduous process with him.
Both players anticipated big seasons but never saw them materialize.
Tannehill closed out 2016 by playing the best football of his career before a hit by Calais Campbell caused severe ACL and MCL sprains, which can include some tearing. He opted for rehab instead of surgery and came into training camp believing he was fully recovered. A few days in, his knee gave out on a noncontact play.
McMillan, a highly touted second-round pick out of Ohio State, was in line to win a starting job until tearing his ACL the first time he stepped onto the field for a preseason game. He was on kickoff coverage at the time and never actually took a snap defensively.
That’s a lot to deal with at a young age and in a new phase of life, but Tannehill helped him through it.
“He always kept me up,” McMillan said. “Some days, I wasn’t feeling too good and I just couldn’t do what I wanted to do, and he always kept me positive and kept my mind right because he went through it last year.”
More depth for O-line: The Dolphins have a relatively set starting lineup on the offensive line, but that plan is only solid if everyone stays healthy. Depth is still a concern, and they added a potential backup Friday in center Mike Matthews.
Matthews came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M in 2016 and signed with Cleveland, but didn’t make the Browns’ regular-season roster. He landed in Pittsburgh last season, but went down in training camp with an unspecified injury.
He’s a 6-foot-2, 300-pound center who started 33 games for the Aggies before trying to make it in the pros. When he gets on the field for organized team activities next week, he’ll be in the group competing to play behind starter Daniel Kilgore.
Ted Larsen, who signed a three-year deal as a guard last year, is working at center and both guard spots as a contingency. The Dolphins also have Jake Brendel, who’s been with the team since going undrafted 2016, and an undrafted free agent in Connor Hilland.
Matthews is the son of Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews, and the family has had several members make it to the NFL. His uncle is Clay Matthews Jr., the father of longtime Packers star Clay Matthews III, both of whom played linebacker. Matthews’ brother Kevin played center for the Titans and Panthers, and his other brother Jake plays offensive tackle for the Falcons.