For Miami fans, watching former quarterback Ryan Tannehill thrive in a new setting this season was bittersweet. Yes, it hurt to watch Tannehill show flashes of being a next level starter, something he hadn’t done for the vast majority of his career in Miami. But Ryan give many gifts to the Dolphins, including some stability at the quarterback position — something that eluded the team for the entirety of the team’s existence without Dan Marino in the 2000s.
And yesterday, as Tannehill prepared for his first career Pro Bowl appearance this weekend, Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post spoke to the former Dolphins quarterback about his season and what it was like to play somewhere besides Miami.
“I have a lot of great memories from South Florida and Miami,” said Tannehill via Habib. “Obviously, I wish things would have been better, more wins, but at the same time, you go through everything in life for a reason…So I’m definitely thankful for the entire journey. I’m happy that Dolphins fans want to root for me. I have fond memories of them as well. I feel honored that they still want to cheer for me.”
Indeed, anyone offering ill will towards Tannehill is probably operating with poor perspective. Tannehill was a player with his flaws — and those flaws are still evident throughout his game tape in Tennessee this season. But the team Tennessee provided him was much more complete than many of his Miami teams. Plus better coaching. Let this season serve as the final reminder to Dolphins fans that quarterback is important: but it isn’t the be-all, end-all.
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