You could easily make the argument that Ryan Tannehill has exceeded expectations as the starting quarterback of the Miami Dolphins this season. His TD-to-interception ratio of 4-to-6 is underwhelming, but Tannehill’s quarterback rating of 75.8 is not all that bad for a rookie leading an offense. Most importantly, he has played well enough to lead the Dolphins to a 4-3 record.
But we don’t need to get carried away in praising the former Texas A&M quarterback. His teammate, Dolphins center Mike Pouncey, already did that for us last week.
“I think he’s the best rookie quarterback in the NFL right now,” Pouncey said according to Chris Tomasson of FOXSports.com. “Without his success that he’s having right now, we wouldn’t be the 3-3 Dolphins that we are.”
When asked specifically if he thought Tannehill was better than Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, Pouncey confidently said that he was. Now that the Dolphins have improved to 4-3, he must think Tannehill is ready for the Hall of Fame — especially since the center also compared his quarterback to Tom Brady.
“I think he’s better than RG3,” Pouncey said. “Their games are different. RG3 can throw, but he can also run. Tannehill’s a smart quarterback. I think he’s going to be one of those elite guys like Tom Brady when it comes said and done. Just his composure. His leadership in the huddle right now is just phenomenal. … I do see Tom, and the way he coordinates and runs his offense is the same as Tannehill does.”
Confidence in your quarterback is one thing. Having delusional thoughts is another. Luck has roughly the same passer rating as Tannehill, so I can see where that argument may come from. RG3 has a whopping 97.3 rating and has scored 14 total touchdowns, so he appears to be leading the way for rookie quarterbacks.
As for whether or not he’ll be the next Brady, do we really even need to go there? Pouncey should probably wait and see if Tannehill can lead the Dolphins to the playoffs before comparing him to three-time Super Bowl champions.
