Miami Dolphins

Dolphins exercise fifth-year option on QB Tannehill

Published Apr. 30, 2015 11:49 a.m. ET

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The Miami Dolphins exercised their fifth-year option on quarterback Ryan Tannehill, the team announced Thursday afternoon.

Tannehill will make $2.1 million this season but will see his salary bumped up to $16.1 million in 2016. The fifth-year option is only guaranteed for injury, and will then become fully guaranteed in March 2016.

The team declined to offer an update on Tannehill's contract negotiations last Friday during media availability regarding the draft.

"Look, Ryan is here, we're excited he is here, we haven't made any decisions yet," executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum said. "We know when the deadline is and we'll make those decisions when we get there. Obviously one of the other axioms you'd like to use this time of year is the tape sets the floor and the character sets the ceiling, and for all of the resources (team owner) Mr. (Stephen) Ross gives us to put into a player, you want to make sure that player is taking all of those resources and Ryan is just a great example of that."

The move carries little risk for the Dolphins for the short term, as they weigh a potential blockbuster contract extension for Tannehill, who enjoyed a career year in 2014 and became the team's first 4,000-yard passer since Dan Marino.

The team scored 388 points last season, the seventh-most in franchise history and the most since 1995. Tannehill set a franchise record with 392 completions and set a career-high by completing 66.4 percent of his passes, the second-highest mark ever for a Dolphins quarterback. He also set a career-high with a 92.8 passer rating, eclipsing his previous best of 81.7 the previous season, and recorded 311 rushing yards.

However, he struggled along with his teammates in the latter part of the season and led an offense ranked 14th in the league that was largely inconsistent in fourth quarters. He was sacked 46 times, third most among NFL quarterbacks.

The Indianapolis Colts recently locked up Andrew Luck with the fifth-year option and Washington did the same with Robert Griffin III. Both Luck and Griffin were also taken in the top 10 of the 2012 draft along with Tannehill.

In three seasons, Tannehill has started all 48 games and thrown for 11,252 yards (the sixth-most for any NFL player in his first three years in the NFL), 63 touchdown passes and owns a career passer rating of 84.0.

You can follow Surya Fernandez on Twitter @SuryaHeatNBA or email him at SuryaFoxSports@gmail.com.

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