Ryan Tannehill doesn’t sound likely for the Dolphins unless something specific happens

In the middle of their embarrassing Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Miami Dolphins lost their quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, who suffered his third concussion in the last three seasons.

That concussion not only knocked him out of the game, but had many clamoring for the 26-year-old to retire. While it's unlikely as of now that Tagovailoa will call it quits, the Dolphins did place him on the IR on Tuesday, keeping him out of action for their next four games.

The Dolphins did pick up Tyler Huntley from the Baltimore Ravens practice squad to back up new starter Skylar Thompson, but it's hard to believe that those inexperienced options will be good enough for a Dolphins team that once had extremely high expectations.

With that in mind, veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill felt like a perfect fit for Miami. He's a free agent so he'd come cheap, he has tons of experience playing in big games, and he even spent the first six years of his career with the Dolphins. Unfortunately, barring a sudden shift, a Tannehill reunion sounds unlikely as of now.

Ryan Tannehill is only open to potential Dolphins reunion if one specific thing happens

Reporting as of now suggests that Tannehill is only looking to play if he has an opportunity to start for the rest of the season. He isn't only looking to start for a week or even four, as would be the case in Miami if Tagovailoa returns from the IR when first eligible. He's open to returning to Miami, but would need to be guaranteed the nod for the remainder of the year, which obviously would not happen if Tagovailoa does return.

While Tannehill appears to be out of reach as of now, the Dolphins do reportedly have C.J. Beathard, a player familiar with head coach Mike McDaniel, on their short list in terms of a veteran replacement for Tagovailoa.

Beathard's track record as an NFL quarterback is far from eye-popping, but he does have 32 appearances and 13 starts across parts of six seasons on his ledger. He appeared in seven games, starting one with the Jacksonville Jaguars just last season. The duo of Thompson and Huntley have combined for 22 games and 11 starts.

Tannehill would be the dream option, but whether he changes his mind is completely out of their control. Barring a major change of heart or a change on Tagovailoa's end, a reunion won't be taking place in 2024.