Dolphins' Jennings calls Ryan Tannehill 'far' from elite

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Greg Jennings delivered a brutally honest critique of his quarterback, Ryan Tannehill, in an interview Wednesday.

The Dolphins sputtered to a 6-10 record, with Tannehill receiving a substantial amount of blame for the team's underwhelming campaign, and Jennings appeared to lose faith in Tannehill as the season progressed.

Asked by ESPN's First Take how far away Tannehill was from being an elite quarterback, Jennings replied, "I guess what I'm saying is he's far (from elite).

"I'm being honest. None of us know. ... It's like he's been handcuffed. I've played with Brett (Favre), I've played with Aaron (Rodgers). I've played with great quarterbacks. So you can sense, you can quickly tell if one has it or not. It's been difficult for me to even tell if he has it or not because he hasn't been given liberty."

Jennings played with two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks while in Green Bay and was accustomed to rarefied levels of success, winning a Super Bowl in 2010. Meanwhile, Tannehill regressed in every facet after a breakout year in 2014.

As Adam Gase enters his first season as Dolphins head coach, he may need to repair the relationship between the embattled franchise quarterback and veteran wide receiver.