Who will last longer in Miami: Adam Gase or Ryan Tannehill?
Under the promise of a new regime that included general manager Chris Grier and head coach Adam Gase, the Miami Dolphins were expected to climb out of the AFC East basement. Five games in, the Dolphins are well on their way for another last-place finish, and there are numerous central figures at fault.
Although it could be argued that Ndamukong Suh is somewhat complicit for this mess, the two key people to the Dolphins' 1-4 start are Gase and quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who's been downright abysmal to date.
Dolphins fans must be wondering about Gase and Tannehill's expiry date, and we break down why either guy could exit Miami first.
Adam Gase
It's easy to become trigger happy after an awful five games, but Gase will almost certainly be afforded some time to get his team in order after being hired in January. If Gase fails to make an imprint on his team by year's end, however, he shouldn't feel anywhere close to safe as owner Stephen Ross seldom exercises patience amid fan outcry.
Lauded as an offensive mastermind prior to his hiring, the Dolphins have averaged a paltry 16.4 points per game, rarely showing any semblance of life or cognition this year. Miami's running game is non-existent - which could be seen as a function of trailing often - and Jay Ajayi and Kenyan Drake haven't made a strong case to seize more carries.
Gase is 38 years old but his wunderkind status means absolutely nothing if the team fails to produce on both sides of the ball. Reshad Jones is the only defensive player that is making more than a negligible impact, being asked to star in the role of Superman on South Beach. The rookie head coach isn't considered a vocal leader, and it's eminently possible that his team has already tuned him out, a death sentence in the modern era.
Ryan Tannehill
Tannehill showed glimpses of stardom in 2014, when he completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 27 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. Since then, Tannehill has been an unmitigated disaster and is the main reason why the Dolphins have sputtered out of the gate once again.
The 28-year-old has thrown six touchdowns against seven interceptions, showing no command of the game, accuracy, or timing through Week 5. In most scenarios, the Dolphins would have ample reason to bench Tannehill but Matt Moore is the only option left on the depth chart, a practical white flag in and of itself.
Cutting Tannehill would be even more perilous for the Dolphins, carrying $10.4 million in dead money for the 2017 season. Miami faces two clear-cut options at this juncture: Either pay Tannehill upwards of $17 million through 2020 and hope he reverts back to his 2014 form, or cut him and absorb a massive salary cap hit, severing ties once for all.
Tannehill doesn't appear to be well liked by his teammates either, after blasting practice squad players for recording interceptions in practice last season. At this juncture, Tannehill is symbolic of the deposed regime and his presence only appears to be stagnating the team's growth at this point.