Knee surgery is an option for Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, and it's also possible an operation can be avoided, coach Adam Gase said Friday.
Tannehill, who missed the final four games of last season with two sprained ligaments in his left knee, reinjured it in practice Thursday. An MRI was inconclusive, and the Dolphins are consulting with a multitude of specialists.
"I wouldn't say second and third opinions — we're probably going deeper than that, talking to a lot of people, making sure we get the right information," Gase said. There's no timetable for a decision, he said.
Last year Tannehill chose not to have surgery after he was hurt. Even if he's able to take that approach this time, he'll likely be sidelined at least six weeks.
He watched Friday's practice from the team cafeteria, his left leg in a brace and propped on a chair.
Gase said he hasn't decided whether to bring in another quarterback. Matt Moore went 2-2 as a starter replacing Tannehill last year and becomes the new No. 1 — for the moment.
"Right now Matt is our quarterback," Gase said. "We'll see where we go from there. I've got to figure out what is going on with Ryan, and then we'll make decisions after that."
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The Dolphins could pursue Colin Kaepernick, who parted ways with the San Francisco 49ers in March and remains unsigned. Jay Cutler, who played for the Chicago Bears when Gase was their offensive coordinator, would be an option if he's willing to give up his new job as a TV commentator.
The Dolphins spent several weeks after last season assessing the extent of Tannehill's ACL and MCL sprains before ruling out surgery. Tannehill instead rehabilitated the partially torn ligaments and underwent stem cell treatments.
He didn't miss an offseason workout, and by May he was saying he felt 100 percent. But his knee buckled on a scramble Thursday, and he fell without being hit.
"Yesterday was a tough day," Gase said, "seeing how hard he worked to be back out there and go through the spring, and a lot of the things he did to make sure everything was good, and he felt great. It caught him off guard a little bit. Seeing him that way is tough."
