Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bushalready told us that rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill won't be thrown into the fire. We've heard all along that veterans Matt Moore and David Garrard will battle for the starting role, something general manager Jeff Ireland emphasized this week.
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"I'm trying not to put too many grandiose expectations on the kid," Ireland told the team's official website, per The Miami Herald. "I think (Tannehill) is our future. Obviously, I wouldn't have drafted him with the eighth pick in the draft. I feel like he's the kind of guy you want in the locker room, the kind of athlete you want running an offense. But we've got two other quarterbacks here that are very established, very good competitors, so it's not going to be easy for him. But you want him to learn from these other veterans and let it play out."
The Herald reported that Tannehill was slow in his decision-making during offseason practices, and Ireland acknowledged "the speed of the game is challenging for any rookie."
The Dolphins' patience is unusual, and we're not confident it will last. But for now, Tannehill sits.
